Chris Richards earned his first Crystal Palace start on Sunday since September and certainly will have given manager Roy Hodgson plenty to consider going forward.
Richards started and played 90 minutes in Palace’s 1-1 draw with London rivals West Ham United. It was his longest outing at club level since September 26 when the Eagles suffered EFL Cup elimination at the hands of Manchester United.
Mohammed Kudus gave the Hammers a first-half lead but Crystal Palace would fight back to tie things up in the second half. Odsonne Edouard leveled for the visitors only eight minutes after the interval.
The 23-year-old Richards was strong all over the field, winning 11 of his 13 duels, completing three tackles, and making four clearances. He rotated at times as a third center back and a second defensive midfielder alongside Jefferson Lerma.
Palace’s result keeps them in 12th place heading into a midweek showdown with Bournemouth on Wednesday at the Vitality Stadium.
Richards will hope to retain his starting spot after mainly only featuring in cup competitions this season. The Eagles have six league matches over the month of December, providing ample opportunities for the U.S. men’s national team defender to play.
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