Richards and Palace Reach FA Cup Final

Defender Played the Full 90 Minutes as Palace Rolled Past Aston Villa

Chris Richards delivered an outstanding defensive performance as Crystal Palace secured their place in the FA Cup final with a commanding 3-0 victory over Aston Villa at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.

The 25-year-old defender was part of manager Oliver Glasner's back three and was described as "aggressive in the tackle" during what the Austrian coach called an "unbelievable" team display. Richards played the full 90 minutes and was instrumental in helping Palace reach only their third FA Cup final in the club's 119-year history.

Richards' defensive statistics highlight his significant contribution to the semifinal triumph. He made six clearances (four of them headed), registered one interception, and won all his attempted tackles. No Villa player successfully dribbled past him throughout the match as Palace's defense stood firm against Unai Emery's Champions League quarter-finalists.

He completed 71% of his passes (20/28) and contributed four passes into the final third, helping Palace maintain control throughout the contest. His performance alongside teammates Maxence Lacroix and captain Marc Guehi established a rock-solid defensive foundation that allowed Palace's attacking players to flourish.

While Eberechi Eze opened the scoring with a sensational first-half finish and Ismaila Sarr netted twice to complete the rout, Richards and the Palace defense remained resolute, with goalkeeper Dean Henderson making several crucial saves to preserve the clean sheet.

This marks another milestone in Richards' developing career as he joins the select group of American players competing for major European silverware this season. Palace will now face either Manchester City in the final on May 17, where they'll aim to lift the FA Cup for the first time after falling short in the 1990 and 2016 finals.