At a Glance:
- Arsenal visit Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
- The Gunners are on the hunt for a double.
- Micah Richards has explained why he believes the Gunners can win the European competition.
Arsenal are preparing for the first leg of their Champions League semi-final tie against Atletico Madrid, and Micah Richards has offered Mikel Arteta’s side some words of encouragement ahead of the showdown.
The Gunners managed to overcome Newcastle United on Saturday afternoon, in a tense and cagey affair which ultimately bolstered their Premier League title hopes. Eberechi Eze’s stunning goal saw the North Londoners move three points clear of Manchester City, who have a game in hand.
Attention now turns back to continental action for Arteta and his players, and they have a golden opportunity to progress into their first final in Europe’s elite competition since 2006. Atletico Madrid are in dreadful form, and Richards has backed Arsenal to get past Diego Simeone’s team and go all the way for one specific reason.
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Micah Richards says Arsenal are ‘better suited’ to the Champions League
Arsenal are unbeaten in the Champions League this season, winning ten and drawing two of their European matches. The Gunners have meticulously dealt with every opponent thrown their way, including Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan.
A two-legged tie against Atletico is now the only thing stopping Arteta’s men from booking their place in the final in Budapest at the end of May. Given Atletico’s dire recent form, the North London outfit should feel confident about their prospects.
That said, a potential final against the red-hot Paris Saint-Germain or the free-flowing Bayern Munich presents a different challenge. It’s not one that Richards thinks the Gunners can’t overcome, however.
Speaking on the Rest is Football podcast, the pundit addressed Arsenal’s Champions League chances, claiming Arteta’s team can win the competition because of their resolute defence.
“I think I said a couple of months ago, maybe a month back, after, I still think Arsenal are better suited to win the Champions League,” he said.
“I know that sounds ridiculous with the teams that are in there, but when Arsenal defend properly, there’s no one who can do it like them.
“If you look at the teams left in the Champions League, I think if Arsenal are in a one-off game, obviously the semi-final is different, but if they get to the final, I think they’ve got enough to beat Atletico. I do.
“If they get to a final, a one-off game, if they defend well and nick a set piece or a goal, like Chelsea did to Manchester City a few years ago when Havertz scored, it could be done.
“I always thought in the Premier League, they weren’t creating enough to go that far. That’s why I would say the ascendancy will be with Manchester City.”
Micah Richards is right about Arsenal’s Champions League chances
Arsenal’s record in the Champions League speaks for itself. Clearly, the Gunners have the capacity to shut out some of the more potent attacks across Europe, while the space which teams in this competition afford them means some of their attacking deficiencies aren’t as keenly felt.
Atletico only reached the semi-finals after beating Barcelona 3-1 on aggregate, with the Catalan giants having a man sent off in both legs. Simeone’s side were beaten on almost all the underlying metrics, and thus, it’s clear that Arsenal can certainly navigate their way past the Madrid-based team.
In a one-off final, anything can indeed happen, and Arsenal may even be favourites against either PSG or Bayern. While both teams have a plethora of attacking talent, they don’t regularly have to deal with a defence as resolute as the Gunners’.
Both the French and German champions are also vulnerable defensively, and the Gunners can exploit that. In the last 18 months, Arsenal have beaten both PSG and Bayern, so they definitely have a chance.
