“I’d like to right a few wrongs” – Micah Richards offers Arsenal allegiance clarification | OneFootball

Former Manchester City and England defender Micah Richards has drawn a sharp line between his affection for the Blues and Arsenal, whom he supported as a child.

Manchester City enter the business end of the season once again positioned as Arsenal’s primary pursuers in the title race, with the Blues six points adrift of Mikel Arteta’s high-flying Gunners ahead of Saturday’s Manchester derby at Old Trafford.

Having navigated injuries and mid-season disruption, Pep Guardiola’s side remain within touching distance at the summit, relying on their familiar traits: control in possession, tactical flexibility, and an ability to accelerate when the margins tighten.

City’s recent performances have reflected a team calibrated for pressure, grinding out results while keeping Arsenal firmly in sight. That dynamic has sharpened scrutiny around every voice connected to the title race, particularly those with histories tied to both clubs.

Micah Richards, a Manchester City academy graduate and now a prominent broadcaster in English football, has often been placed under that microscope. His previous on-air references to Arsenal have lingered in the public memory, sometimes used to question his neutrality when assessing City’s progress.

Context matters here. Richards emerged from City’s academy at a time when the club was still defining its modern identity. He lifted the FA Cup in 2011 and was part of the squad that laid foundations for City’s transformation into a dominant domestic force since Sheikh Mansour’s takeover of the club in 2008.

His post-playing career has coincided with City’s rise into a serial title winner, inevitably binding his public persona to the club’s fortunes. At the same time, Arsenal’s resurgence under Arteta has brought a new intensity to the rivalry.

With the Gunners setting the pace this season, commentary surrounding City has carried an additional edge, particularly from former players whose words are dissected for subtext. Richards’ remarks therefore arrive at a moment when clarity carries weight.

Speaking to @ThisIsFG for his YouTube channel, Richards addressed the issue directly, acknowledging the confusion his past comments had caused.

“You know what, I’d like to right a few wrongs,” Richards said. “I said, and if you look at programs when I was at Man City years ago, I always said I was an Arsenal fan. But I’m not.”

The distinction he drew was deliberate. Richards spoke openly about the emotional pull of Manchester City, crediting the club for shaping his career and personal life. “I absolutely adore – and this is hand on heart – we’re being serious now – I absolutely love Man City so much and what they’ve done for me,” he added.

“But I can’t help who I support,” Richards added, acknowledging a personal truth while reaffirming his professional respect for City. The comments were measured rather than provocative, aimed at settling a long-running narrative rather than inflaming it.

In a season where every comment is magnified, Richards’ clarification serves as a reminder of football’s human layers. Loyalties formed in childhood can co-exist with gratitude forged through a career, even when those lines intersect with elite competition at the highest level.

As Arsenal and Manchester City continue their duel at the top of the Premier League, Richards’ words land less as a controversy and more as closure – an attempt to separate sentiment from analysis and history from the present moment.