‘We’ve seen that before’ – Nigerian-English forward Eberechi Eze’s Arsenal winner no shock to Richards

Crystal Palace defender Chris Richards says the team can take pride in their performance despite a narrow 1-0 defeat to Arsenal, sealed by a stunning goal from former teammate Eberechi Eze.

Eze, who has Nigerian heritage, struck with an acrobatic finish to give the Gunners all three points at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

It was a moment of brilliance that surprised no one in the Palace camp, according to Richards, who revealed that the squad had often seen Eze produce similar magic in training.

“We played really well against the top team in the league, one of the best teams in Europe,” Richards told Palace’s official website.

“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.”

The American defender admitted the team felt they could have taken more from the match.

“We restricted the best team in Europe to only one or two clear-cut chances,” he said.

“At the Emirates, it’s always a tough game to play, especially with the form they’re in right now.”

Despite the defeat, Richards praised Palace’s resilience and organisation, saying the players would draw confidence from their overall display.

“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.”

On Eze’s match-winning effort, Richards added with a smile: “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 scored today, of course, but happy for him regardless.”