Back in the Europa League for the first time since winning it in 2013, can Chelsea continue their near flawless start to the season with a victory against PAOK, at 5.55pm on BT Sport 2?

The initial signs of Maurizio Sarri’s tenure at Stamford Bridge weren’t good. They only managed one pre-season win, over Australia’s Perth Glory, and slumped to a 2-0 defeat against Man City in the Community Shield. Yet since the Premier League began they’ve looked mighty impressive, winning their first 5 games on the trot to sit in 1st place, with 14 goals scored and just 4 conceded.



Eden Hazard has come into his own in the last 3 fixtures, nabbing 5 goals in that period to become the Premier League’s top scorer. Yet he still has to share a Super Mega PGM spread of 35-41 with Olivier Giroud, who is yet to find the back of the net this season, bested by Alvaro Morata, who has only scored once, at 41-48.

Joined in Group L by Hungary’s MOL Vidi and Belarus’ BATE Borisov, Greece’s PAOK failed to reach the Champions League after losing their qualifying play-off to Benfica. Like Chelsea they’re so far unbeaten domestically, yet their 3 wins have only yielded 7 points thanks to a 2 point deduction after owner Ivan Savvidis stepped onto the pitch during a game against AEK Athens last season carrying a gun in a hip holster.

There shouldn’t be any reason why the Blues domestic form can’t carry over into Europe, with Spreadex offering a Chelsea/PAOK (h) Goal Supremacy spread of 0.9-1.1 alongside a Total Goals spread of 2.5-2.7.

Elsewhere, can Unai Emery bring the same Europa League magic to Arsenal that he managed at Sevilla, when the Gunners host Vorskla Poltava at 8pm on BT Sport 2? The Spaniard’s start to his Arsenal career has been less successful than fellow Premier League newbie Sarri, with worrying losses against Man City and Chelsea in his first 2 games. The results have improved since then, if not the performances themselves, with uninspiring wins over West Ham, Cardiff and Newcastle.



Luckily they should get a chance to really stretch out on Thursday. Their opponents are Ukraine’s bronze medallists, reaching the Europa League proper for the first time since 2011/12, when they scored just 4 times in 6 group games.

Not only are the Gunners expected to win, at an Arsenal/Vorskla Poltava Goal Supremacy spread of 2.7-2.9 alongside a Total Goals spread of 3.55-3.75, their forwards will be looking for big numbers, with Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at huge Super Mega PGMs of 80-95 and 82-97 respectively.