Davidson has the first shot of the game for the hosts, firing well off target from a long way out. No danger there.

The rain in Guimaraes is heavy, dripping down the players' faces.

The Portuguese side get us under way. Arsenal are in their changed, yellow shirts.

The home side are playing in white shirts, white shorts and white socks.

Rain is pelting down in Portugal, as the teams trudge out on the pitch.

This 30,000-seater stadium isn't quite full, with empty seats in the four corners and in the lower rows of the upper tier in particular.

The Vitoria fans are waving their black and white scarves in the air, as the players wait in the tunnel.

Here's a reminder of this afternoon's teams, after Unai Emery made eight changes to his Arsenal side.

Rob Holding wears the captain's armband in the absence of new skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who has replaced Granit Xhaka as captain. Nicolas Pepe also starts for Gunners.

Arsenal starting XI: Martinez, Sokratis, Holding (C), Mustafi, Maitland-Niles, Ceballos, Willock, Tierney, Pepe, Martinelli, Saka.

Vitoria Guimaraes XI: Douglas, Frederico Venancio (C), Rafa Soares, Tapsoba, Lucas Evangelista, Victor García, Edwards, Agu, Pepe, Davidson, Bruno Duarte.

This afternoon's home side are fifth in the Portuguese Primeira Liga table, 11 points behind leaders Benfica.

They're bottom of Europa League Group F after three defeats from three.

Image source, Getty Images

The 30,000-seater Estadio D. Afonso Henriques is where this afternoon's game is being played.

Guimaraes is in the north of Portugal, close to Braga.

Ouch.

Will teenager Bukayo Saka be the key to a successful afternoon's work for the Gunners today?

A second man has admitted trying to rob Arsenal footballers Mesut Ozil and Sead Kolasinac in a moped ambush.

Jordan Northover, 26, pleaded guilty at Harrow Crown Court to attempting to steal watches from the pair in Hampstead, north-west London.

His co-accused Ashley Smith, 30, of Archway in North London,admitted his role in the crime in October.

Has Unai Emery made the right decision in stripping Granit Xhaka of the Arsenal captaincy?

Was Aubameyang the best replacement, and how do you think Rob Holding will get on while wearing the armband tonight?

You can have your say via #bbcfootball as ever.

Image source, AFP

In case you missed it, Gunners boss Unai Emery confirmed last night that midfielder Granit Xhaka had been stripped of the Arsenal captaincy, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang taking over.

Xhaka, 27, was involved in an angry confrontation with home fans as the Gunners drew with Palace at the Emirates Stadium on 27 October.

"I had a meeting with him and told him he is no longer in the captain's group," said Emery.

"He accepted my decision. I needed to take a decision and now it's closed."

You can read more here.

You might well be asking, 'what's this, Europa League football on a Wednesday afternoon?'

Well, firstly, the early kick-off time has been chosen to avoid traffic congestion in Portugal and avoid broadcast clashes with the Champions League.

The game is being played a day earlier than the other 23 fixtures taking place because Vitoria's Portuguese rivals Braga host Besiktas at the Municipal Stadium on Thursday, 15 miles from Vitoria's home ground.

That result gave Unai Emery's side a three-point lead at the top of the group, at the halfway stage.

If Arsenal win this afternoon then they will qualify for the last 32 on Thursday if Standard Liege fail to beat Eintracht Frankfurt in Belgium.

Image source, AFP

In October's reverse fixture between these two sides in London, substitute Nicolas Pepe rescued Arsenal with two sublime free-kicks in the final 10 minutes.

The Gunners were losing 2-1 when Pepe came on in the 75th minute and he scored five minutes later with a curling effort from 25 yards.

He repeated the feat in stoppage time as Arsenal avoided their second straight defeat and stayed top of Group F.

Unai Emery has made eight changes to his Arsenal side for today's Europa League match at Vitoria Guimaraes.

Rob Holding will take the captaincy in the absence of new skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who was made captain after Granit Xhaka was stripped of the armband.

Shkodran Mustafi returns in defence for the Gunners, while youngsters Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Kieran Tierney also start.

Nicolas Pepe, plus 18-year-old Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka will lead the Arsenal attack.

Arsenal starting XI: Martinez, Sokratis, Holding (C), Mustafi, Maitland-Niles, Ceballos, Willock, Tierney, Pepe, Martinelli, Saka.

Vitoria Guimaraes XI: Douglas, Frederico Venancio (C), Rafa Soares, Tapsoba, Lucas Evangelista, Victor García, Edwards, Agu, Pepe, Davidson, Bruno Duarte.

But first let's turn our attention straight to matters in Portugal, and the team news is in...

Today's action starts in Portugal as Arsenal face Vitoria Guimaraes in Group F of the Europa League. After that, Man City, Spurs, Real Madrid and PSG are among the sides in Champions League action.

Here are this evening's Champions League fixtures (all times GMT):

Group A

• Paris St-Germain v Club Bruges (20:00)
• Real Madrid v Galatasaray (20:00)

Group B

• Bayern Munich Olympiakos (17:55)
• Red Star Belgrade v Tottenham (20:00)

GROUP C

• Atalanta v Man City (20:00)
• Dinamo Zagreb v Shakhtar Donetsk (20:00)

GROUP D

• Lokomotiv Moscow v Juventus (17:55)
• Bayer 04 Leverkusen v Atletico Madrid (20:00)

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Reuters

Tuesday night certainly delivered high drama in the Champions League.

If you missed it, what were you doing?!

Over the next seven hours, here's hoping for a whole lot more. Another busy evening of European football is coming your way, starting with Arsenal in Europa League action from 15:50 GMT.