Richards: There’s a lot to build on from today
Chris Richards says Crystal Palace’s display away to Arsenal was of a calibre to remain optimistic moving forwards, amidst a busy run of matches.
The Eagles fought well away to the Premier League leaders – who were seeking a seventh consecutive win in all competitions – but were undone by a familiar face, Ebere Eze, shortly before the break.
Palace continued to battle and threatened the Arsenal goal with a series of late attacks, but ultimately were condemned to defeat.
But Richards and his teammates saw positives in the display, with the defender reflecting: “We played really well against the top team in the league, one of the best teams in Europe.
“Us being disappointed with the result today just shows how far we've come. We've done a lot in the last year, and we have really high standards for ourselves.
“I think we all came into the changing room feeling like we left a little bit out there, and again, that shows how well we've been doing and how optimistic we are for the future.
“We restricted the best team in Europe to only one or two clear-cut chances. I think at the Emirates, it's always a tough game to play, but especially with the form they're in right now.
“We created a lot, we defended a lot, and we got unlucky with their goal – but regardless, there's a lot to build on today.”
We’ve got to go out there and bring the same intensity, the same mentality
—Chris Richards
On Eze’s goal – an acrobatic finish – Richards admitted: “[I’ve] definitely seen it on the training pitch a lot and also on the field, but when he was wearing our colours. I wish he hadn't have scored today, of course, but happy for him regardless.”
The big matches continue to come thick and fast for Palace, with a trip to Anfield to face Liverpool in the Carabao Cup up next in midweek.
“It’s going to be a very similar game, I think,” Richards noted. “With Liverpool, everybody knows how good they are, and they're the [Premier League] champions for a reason.
“We’ve got to go out there and bring the same intensity, the same mentality. I feel like every time we play Liverpool, we always get one or two more clear-cut chances than we did today, so we’ve got to make the most of them.”