Micah Richards tells Mikel Arteta that Arsenal star ‘has to have more minutes’ against PSG

Micah Richards believes Ethan Nwaneri ‘has to have more minutes’ if Arsenal need a difference-maker to come on and change the game in their Champions League semi-final second leg with PSG.

The Gunners enter tonight’s meeting in Paris trailing 1-0 in the tie after Ousmane Dembele scored the only goal of the game in front a subdued Emirates crowd a week ago.

The French champions were the deserved victors last Tuesday, but Arsenal did have chances to level through Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard, who were both denied by Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Mikel Arteta waited until the 83rd minute to make his first change, with Ben White coming on in place of the injured Jurrien Timber.

Nwaneri was also introduced, coming on for Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard in the 89th minute, but the 18-year-old academy graduate was not able to make a significant impact in the limited time he was given in north London.

‘I think Nwaneri has to have more minutes. I think he’s a player that can make an impact in the game because he’s very unpredictable,’ ex-Manchester City and England defender Richards said on the latest episode of The Rest Is Football.

‘We knows he’s got quality but I think he needs more minutes.

‘If the game is still 0-0 after 60 minutes, then Arsenal have got a real chance, but we know the quality of PSG.’

The Gunners were without Thomas Partey in the first leg, with the central midfielder suspended after picking up a late booking in the previous round against Real Madrid.

Richards – a lifelong fan of Arsenal – feels Partey’s return could free up Declan Rice to have more of an influence on proceedings at the Parc des Princes.

‘I think it’s different this time around because Thomas Partey is back,’ he added.

‘You see Declan Rice against Bournemouth, in terms of him being released further up the pitch.

‘I really believe it is going to be an open game because Arsenal now haven’t got anything to lose, but they can’t go all gung-ho in the first 20 minutes, thinking they have to win it. Keep it tight.

‘Arsenal, I believe, are a very good side when they’re in transition, they’re in that low block, and when they go, they go with numbers, Declan Rice released.

‘The biggest question for me is how they’re going to set up. I think the back four picks itself, he’s probably going to go with Partey, Rice and Odegaard, even though Odegaard’s form has been in and out.’

While Richards has been impressed by Jakub Kiwior’s recent performances, he believes Arsenal have badly missed Gabriel Magalhaes’ ‘arrogance’ and ‘leadership’ at the back.

‘In big moments in the Champions League, you need your big players and I think Kiwior has done ever so well up until the first leg against PSG,’ he continued.

‘I think they’ve missed Gabriel massively. He’s a massive, massive miss.

‘He’s got that confidence, arrogance and leadership that you need going into a semi-final and that could be a miss.

‘PSG are favourites, we know that. They were probably slight favourites in the first leg, so Arsenal can go out there and just go for it and just see what happens.’

The winners will do battle with Inter Milan in this year’s final, with the Serie A champions defeating Barcelona in an all-time San Siro classic on Tuesday.

Hansi Flick’s men looked to be heading for May’s showpiece in Munich as they held a 3-2 lead on the night, with two minutes of added time remaining.

But Francesco Acerbi forced extra-time with a thunderous strike in the 93rd minute, before Davide Frattesi scored the decisive goal for Inter to send the Milan crowd into raptures.

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