Arsenal face PSG on Wednesday evening in a huge Champions League clash.
This is a game that could define Arsenal’s season, and if the Gunners win, it could define this entire generation.
Arsenal have a chance against PSG, but, in order to win, Mikel Arteta needs to get his tactics and team selection spot on.
Mikel Arteta does have some tough decisions to make here. Some have suggested Declan Rice could play up front, while Thomas Partey’s return will lead to something of a reshuffle surely.
Speaking on The Rest is Football, Micah Richards has been discussing how Arsenal should approach this game, and he’s urged Mikel Arteta to give Ethan Nwaneri a chance in this game, claiming that he could make an impact.
Micah Richards says Ethan Nwaneri deserves a chance vs PSG
Richards spoke about Nwaneri and how he should be used in this game.
The pundit didn’t necessarily call for Nwaneri to start, but he says he should get more minutes, clamiing that he could make an impact in this match.
Nwaneri has earned huge praise this season, and Richards thinks he should get a chance to play in this mammoth fixture.
“I think Nwaneri has to have more minutes. I think he’s a player who can make an impact in the game. He’s very unpredictable. We know he has quality but he needs more minutes. If the game is still 0-0 after 60 minutes Arsenal have a real chance, but we know the quality of PSG,” Richards said.
Youngsest players to start a Champions League semi-final
Inter Milan vs Barcelona was a thriller in the other Champions League semi-final, and, in a lot of ways, this game was defined by a 17-year-old, Lamine Yamal.
Yamal was incredible vs Inter over two legs, and now, it may be time for another 17-year-old to make his mark on this game for Arsenal.
Nwaneri isn’t in line to start this game, but if he were to start this match, he would be right up there in terms of the youngest players to ever start on this stage.
| Youngsest players to start a Champions League semi-final | Age | Year | Team | Opposition |
| Julian Draxler | 17 years, 226 days | 2011 | Schalke | Man United |
| Lamine Yamal | 17 years, 291 days | 2025 | Barcelona | Inter |
| Warren Zaire-Emery | 18 years, 54 days | 2024 | PSG | Borussia Dortmund |
| Kylian Mbappe | 18 years, 134 days | 2017 | Monaco | Juventus |
| Glen Johnson | 19 years, 8 months, 12 days | 2004 | Chelsea | Monaco |
At 17 years 353 days, Nwaneri would become one of the youngest players to ever play in the Champions League semi-finals, and if Arsenal managed to get through, he’d be the youngest player ever to start one of these games and progress to the final.
Whether or not Nwaneri gets this sort of opportunity remains to be seen, but if he does get a chance, Micah Richards is backing him to make an impact.
