{"id":2882,"date":"2026-03-09T07:22:54","date_gmt":"2026-03-09T07:22:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news678.top\/?p=2882"},"modified":"2026-03-09T07:22:54","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T07:22:54","slug":"micah-richards-backs-premier-league-club-to-win-champions-league-football","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news678.top\/?p=2882","title":{"rendered":"Micah Richards backs Premier League club to win Champions League | Football"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Ex-Manchester City and England defender Micah Richards (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Micah Richards believes the Champions a League trophy will be heading back to a Premier League club this season.<\/p>\n

The six English clubs that qualified for the Champions League are all still in with a chance of winning Europe\u2019s premier club competition.<\/p>\n

Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester City all finished in the top-eight of the league phase, advancing straight into the knockout stages.<\/p>\n

Newcastle United joined them domestic rivals in the last-16 with an emphatic play-off win over Qarabag.<\/p>\n

Premier League leaders Arsenal, who topped the Champions League group phase, face German side Bayer Leverkusen for a place in the quarter-finals.<\/p>\n

Their title rivals Manchester City, meanwhile, take on Real Madrid, the most successful team in European football history, in a blockbuster showdown.<\/p>\n

Club World Cup holders Chelsea meet the Champions League holders PSG while reigning Premier League champions Liverpool face Turkish giants Galatasaray.<\/p>\n

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The Champions League trophy is up for grabs (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Newcastle will look to cause an upset against La Liga leaders Barcelona while Premier League relegation-battlers Tottenham face Diego Simeone\u2019s Atletico Madrid.<\/p>\n

Arsenal have yet to win the Champions League but Richards believes that will be rectified by Mikel Arteta\u2019s side over the next two months.<\/p>\n

Discussing Arsenal, who are still in all four competitions, Richards said on The Rest is Football podcast: \u2018All I would say \u2013 and I don\u2019t want to be the negative one \u2013 is they haven\u2019t won anything just yet.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\tChampions League last-16 draw\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
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Galatasaray vs Liverpool<\/p>\n

Newcastle United vs Barcelona<\/p>\n

Atletico Madrid vs Tottenham<\/p>\n

Atalanta vs Bayern Munich<\/p>\n

Bayer Leverkusen vs Arsenal<\/p>\n

PSG vs Chelsea<\/p>\n

Bodo-Glimt vs Sporting<\/p>\n

Real Madrid vs Manchester City<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\u2018In terms of results they\u2019ve been pretty faultless but in terms of style of play, they score a lot of set-pieces and own goals. I don\u2019t think it\u2019s wrong for people to pick that out but I also don\u2019t think it\u2019s right for people to be negative and say Arsenal don\u2019t play good football.<\/p>\n

\u2018The objective at the end of the season is to win the league, who cares how you get over the line?<\/p>\n

\u2018They\u2019re top of the Premier League and I think Arsenal are the favourites for the Champions League because I think it will suit them more than the domestic games.<\/p>\n

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\u2018In 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.<\/p>\n

\u2018I thought Man City would have the capabilities to break teams down more than Arsenal in the Premier League but it\u2019s not working out like that.<\/p>\n

\u2018Arsenal are getting some criticism but if they win the league, who cares how they do it? The objective is to win trophies and it\u2019s as simple as that.\u2019<\/p>\n

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Arsenal are still in all four competitions (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Former England star Joe Cole has also backed Arsenal to lift the Champions League trophy despite some unconvincing performances in the Premier League.<\/p>\n

The Gunners drew two league games in a row last month before sealing narrow wins over Chelsea and Brighton. Arsenal progressed in the FA Cup on Saturday but only beat League One strugglers Mansfield Town by one goal.<\/p>\n

Arteta\u2019s side appear to be in the weaker half of the Champions League draw and Cole believes that gives Arsenal the edge to win the competition for the first time.<\/p>\n

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\u2018Every team that has won it for the last ten years is on one side: Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, so it has opened up for Arsenal,\u2019 he said on The Dressing Room Podcast.<\/p>\n

\u2018I think, personally, it\u2019s going to be an Arsenal versus Manchester City final. I think it will be an epic.<\/p>\n

\u2018I look at it, my only bet would be Arsenal going to the final. I\u2019m not sure on the other side, with Manchester City you still don\u2019t know because there\u2019s too many good teams.<\/p>\n

\u2018Arsenal get to the final. They\u2019re going to beat Bayer Leverkusen, they ain\u2019t no cop [good], Sporting or Bodo\/Glimt\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2018In summery, the Champions League draw, they\u2019ve opened it up, someone has rolled it across the goal for Arsenal. They cannot blow it\u2026 or can they?<\/p>\n

\u2018Arsenal fans, book your tickets for Budapest, in my opinion.\u2019<\/p>\n

After travelling to Germany on Wednesday to face Bayer Leverkusen in the first leg of their last-16 Champions League tie, Arsenal return to Premier League action at the weekend against Everton.<\/p>\n

For more stories like this,\u00a0check our sport page<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Arrow<\/title>\n<\/svg>MORE: \u2018It was crazy!\u2019 \u2013 Chelsea questioned for leaving out \u00a338m \u2018machine\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

Arrow<\/title>\n<\/svg>MORE: Arsenal given fresh hope of signing Champions League winner<\/span><\/p>\n

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