Arsenal, Liverpool or Man City? Richards names Premier League side as ‘favourites’ for Champions League | OneFootball

Ex-Man City defender Micah Richards reckons Premier League leaders Arsenal are the “favourites” to win the Champions League this season.

The Gunners are currently leading the Premier League by seven points to the second-placed Citizens, who have a game in hand and still have Arsenal to play at the Etihad Stadium.

Arsenal are also into the League Cup final, where they will face Man City, while their 2-1 win over League One side Mansfield Town on Saturday saw them move into the FA Cup quarter-finals.

The Gunners could still win the Quadruple and they have also been given a favourable draw in the Champions League with Bayer Leverkusen in the last-16 and one of Bodo/Glimt or Sporting Lisbon in the quarter-finals, if they progress.

Liverpool, Man City, Chelsea, Newcastle United and Tottenham are also representing the Premier League but Richards reckons Arsenal are now “favourites” for the Champions League with the competition “suiting them more than the domestic games”.

Richards said on The Rest is Football podcast: “All I would say – and I don’t want to be the negative one – is they haven’t won anything just yet.

“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 objective at the end of the season is to win the league, who cares how you get over the line?

“They’re 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.

“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.

“I thought Man City would have the capabilities to break teams down more than Arsenal in the Premier League but it’s not working out like that.

“Arsenal are getting some criticism but if they win the league, who cares how they do it? The objective is to win trophies and it’s as simple as that.”

Chelsea legend Joe Cole reckons Arsenal will play Man City in the Champions League final with the Gunners definitely set to make the final.

Cole said on The Dressing Room Podcast: “Every 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.

“I think, personally, it’s going to be an Arsenal versus Manchester City final. I think it will be an epic.

“I look at it, my only bet would be Arsenal going to the final. I’m not sure on the other side, with Manchester City you still don’t know because there’s too many good teams.

“Arsenal get to the final. They’re going to beat Bayer Leverkusen, they ain’t no cop [good], Sporting or Bodo/Glimt…

“In summary, the Champions League draw, they’ve opened it up, someone has rolled it across the goal for Arsenal. They cannot blow it… or can they?

“Arsenal fans, book your tickets for Budapest, in my opinion.”