It wasn’t long ago that Richards’ Crystal Palace were among the early stories of the Premier League season. Back in September, the Eagles were in a Champions League position after a 2-1 win over then-league leaders Liverpool.
Since then, Palace have recorded just one league victory - a Nov. 1 result over Brentford. Defending has been the key difference. During the club’s strong start, Palace conceded two goals and posted two clean sheets across the opening four matches, averaging 0.50 goals against per game. Since October, that number has risen to 1.50. Expected goals against per 90 minutes (xGA/90) has remained largely consistent, shifting only slightly from 1.28 to 1.47.
The trend points to a broader issue: depth. Last season, Palace maintained one of the league’s more stable defenses in part because they had fewer fixtures. This year, competing in Europe has stretched the squad, which added limited reinforcements after several summer departures.
Manager Oliver Glasner recently expressed frustration with U.S. Soccer for not accommodating his request to rest Richards, who has been managing a minor injury. Richards was later left out of the USMNT’s November squad, despite being one of the team’s top defenders. The center back has continued to play regularly for Palace, logging 90 minutes in each of the club’s four matches since the last international break.
Palace host a resurgent Brighton side this weekend. The Seagulls, who struggled early after key offseason departures, have climbed back into form. Former Inter Miami winger Diego Gómez has contributed to that resurgence, scoring twice against Leeds last week. Brighton sit one point behind Palace in 10th place.
Palace can move as high as fourth depending on other results. Maintaining that momentum will depend on whether Richards can continue to perform through a busy stretch.