Former Manchester City defender Micah Richards has both highlighted Arsenal as standout favorites to win the UEFA Champions League and urged caution. While the Gunners are having an outstanding campaign under Mikel Arteta and lead the Premier League, Richards argues that success is defined only by trophies, not by impressive form.
Micah Richards Warns Arsenal Despite Champions League Praise
On The Rest is Football podcast, Richards praised Arsenal’s results but insisted that success can only be measured in trophies. “All I would say – and I don’t want to be the negative one – is they haven’t won anything just yet,” Richards said. “In terms of results, they’ve been pretty faultless, but in terms of style of play, they score a lot of set-pieces and own goals. I don’t think it’s wrong for people to pick that out, but I also don’t think it’s right for people to be negative and say Arsenal don’t play good football,” the English pundit added.
He acknowledged their strong form but emphasized: “The objective at the end of the season is to win the league – who cares how you get over the line?”
Despite his warning, Richards suggests the Gunners’ style may make them Champions League favorites. He argued that European matches, which can be more open, might suit Arsenal better than domestic games, where opponents often defend deep against them in the Premier League.
“They’re top of the Premier League, and I think Arsenal are the favorites for the Champions League because I think it will suit them more than the domestic games,” he explained. “In the Champions League the games might get a little bit more stretched whereas in the Premier League everyone is going to that low block against them.”
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Arsenal’s progress in the knockout stages has strengthened the belief they could go far. The club will face Bayer 04 Leverkusen in the round of 16. Advancing keeps them on the opposite side of the bracket from European powers like Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and Paris Saint-Germain, as well as domestic rivals Chelsea, Manchester City, and Liverpool.
With momentum, a favorable draw, and domestic form, Arsenal are poised for honors. Yet, Richards’ main warning remains: only trophies define a successful season. Arteta’s side must turn promise into tangible achievement for the season to be deemed a true success.
