Everything you need to know about to watch BATE v Arsenal for free, either via live stream or on TV, plus an in-depth preview of the Europa League showdown.

Free BATE Borisov v Arsenal live streaming and TV coverage will be provided by BT Sport on Thursday as the Gunners head to Belarus for matchday two of their Europa League campaign.

Absolutely anyone can simply bookmark this page, return at 5.30pm (kick-off is 6pm) and then follow the ‘BATE v Arsenal – Free Live Stream’ banner below to watch all the action right here on BTSport.com via the acclaimed enhanced video player.

The award-winning BT Sport app will be showing the same free BATE v Arsenal live stream, with free TV coverage available on BT Sport Showcase on BT TV (channel 115) and Freeview (channel 115), as well as on Virgin Media (channel 548).

Subscribers, meanwhile, can tune in on TV on BT Sport 2/BT Sport 2 HD or follow the banner below to enjoy BATE v Arsenal live streaming in our full logged-in Europa League matchday experience, which will also be available on the BT Sport app as usual.

Did you know?

BT Sport is the only place to watch Arsenal in Europa League, Premier League and FA Cup action all season long – find out more about our wide range of sign-up packages here.

BATE v Arsenal: Match preview

Well, that was some introduction to the Europa League, wasn’t it?!

No-one was expecting Arsenal’s first dalliance with the competition since it ceased being the UEFA Cup to be quite so dramatic.

The invasion of London by a reported 20,000 Cologne fans ahead of the Emirates Stadium showdown caught everyone – not least the Metropolitan police, it would seem - by surprise.

Arsenal officials took the unusual step of delaying kick-off by an hour as the massed ranks of visiting supporters descended on the ground, but that did not prevent a sizable proportion getting in anyway.

For all the worrying footage of scuffles with stewards ahead of the game, there was no trouble reported inside the stadium, despite huge pockets of Cologne fans being interspersed with home supporters throughout the ground.

Both clubs are under investigation by UEFA but arguably the biggest embarrassment to emerge from the episode for Arsenal is that thousands of fans chose to sell their tickets for the game.

Such a sense of ennui at dropping into Europe’s second-tier competition for the first time in 17 years could hardly have been in sharper contrast to the fervour and passion displayed by their German counterparts.

No doubt those who stayed away will eventually have their interest piqued if Arsenal are still in the running for European glory in the final weeks of the campaign.

But for now, a much hardier bunch of Gunners fans are preparing to face a similarly feisty atmosphere as they arrive in Borisov for Thursday’s matchday two collision with BATE.

Arsene Wenger’s men are well fancied to build on that eventual 3-1 success over Cologne but they should be wary of their latest opponents’ impressive home record.

BATE, winners of their domestic league for 11 straight seasons, have lost just one of their last 12 European home games and that was against Barcelona in October 2015.

The hosts picked up a creditable 1-1 draw at Red Star Belgrade in their opening fixture and will feel further inspired when they see Wenger’s team-sheet.

Arsenal’s squad will comprise fringe players and a sprinkling of youth prospects, but they are particularly short of natural cover for wing-backs Hector Bellerin and Sead Kolasinac.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles, more at home in the centre of the park, and attacking midfielder Reiss Nelson were deployed out of position there in last week’s nervy Carabao Cup win over Doncaster.

Arsenal have huge hopes for the precocious Nelson, 17, but his lack of defensive nous will be a major concern if he is once again asked to understudy Bellerin in Borisov.

In fairness to Wenger, he cannot be blamed for making wholesale changes.

He was right to point out the “cruel” schedule facing Arsenal this week, with the 2,400-mile round trip to Belarus awkwardly sandwiched in between Monday’s win over West Brom and a 12pm Sunday kick-off against Brighton (also live on BT Sport).

However, he challenged the youngsters selected to view the game as an ideal opportunity to demonstrate their suitability for a place in the first-team squad.

"This is the kind of job [where] you do not get 10 opportunities to play for Arsenal," said the Frenchman.

"When you get it, even if they only get 20 minutes, you have to convince people you have the qualities to do it and you have the courage to play and show your qualities.

"There is always an uncertainty. We know in training, you see in training that the player has the quality. Yes, he is here because he has the qualities. After, to show it during competition is something different.

"And in my experience you only discover that during the competition. They have a new stadium, they have a good crowd. I’ve heard that 17,000 capacity, so certainly it will be very loud."

Young guns aside, there will also be particular interest in the performance of Jack Wilshere, who is likely to get another chance to prove his return to form and fitness.

The England man completed his first 90 minutes for Arsenal in over three years against Doncaster and showcased flickers of his old dynamism in an encouraging display.

With the games coming thick and fast for the Gunners, a fit and firing Wilshere could yet have a major part to play this season as he bids to earn a new contract.

Will he and senior colleagues such as Olivier Giroud, Per Mertesacker and Theo Walcott stand up in Borisov and help Arsenal make it two wins out of two?

BATE v Arsenal: Team news

Alexis Sánchez, Mesut Özil, Alexandre Lacazette, Aaron Ramsey, Granit Xhaka, Laurent Koscielny, Kolasinac and Bellerín were all left in London by Wenger with Sunday’s game in mind.

Meanwhile, the likes of Alex Iwobi (thigh), Francis Coquelin (hamstring), Danny Welbeck (groin), Calum Chambers (hip) and Santi Cazorla (plantaris) will miss out through injury.

Provisional squad: Ospina, Cech, Macey, Mertesacker, Holding, Mustafi, Wilshere, Elneny, Maitland-Niles, Walcott, Giroud, Nelson, Willock, McGuane, Dasilva, Akpom, Gilmour, Debuchy.

BATE v Arsenal: Head to head

This will be the first ever competitive meeting between the sides, as well as Arsenal’s first ever game against Belarusian opposition.

BATE v Arsenal: Key statistics

BATE Borisov’s only previous meetings against an English side were in the 2009-10 Europa League group stage – they lost at home to Everton before winning the reverse fixture in England.

Arsenal have scored in each of their last 11 away games in European competition, but have only managed to keep two clean sheets in that run (W6 D1 L4).

This will be Arsenal’s first away game in this competition since their 1999-00 UEFA Cup semi-final second leg – a 2-1 victory at Lens.

BATE are winless in their last seven games in this competition (D4 L3), though this is their first season in the Europa League since 2012-13, and first in the group stages since 2010-11.

Arsenal averaged the highest % of possession in the opening round of Europa League group games (72%) in their 3-1 win over FC Koln.

BATE faced more shots (23, including blocked) than any other side on MD1, but still managed to get a 1-1 draw in Belgrade.

No player played more successful passes in the opening round of Europa League games than Arsenal’s Nacho Monreal (108, level with Asier Illarramendi).

BATE Borisov will be the 122nd different team that Arsene Wenger has faced while manager of Arsenal.

BATE v Arsenal: Match odds

BATE: 13/2

Draw: 15/4

Arsenal: 2/5

All odds correct at the time of writing

Can’t watch BATE v Arsenal live?

We’ll be showing FREE highlights right here on BTSport.com and the BT Sport app shortly after the final whistle has blown, while the enhanced video player will also continue to be available for subscribers who want to watch the game in full.

There will also be several opportunities to catch a re-run either on TV or online – consult our TV Guide for more information on broadcast times.