Chris Richards has a chance at history when Crystal Palace face Manchester City in Saturday’s FA Cup final

Crystal Palace find themselves as improbable finalists for the FA Cup this season. On Saturday, they face the monumental task of taking on Manchester City, aiming for their first major trophy since clinching the English second tier title back in 1993-94. At the start of the season, Palace was often mentioned as a dark horse with an outside possibility of qualifying for European competition. However, a challenging initial period under manager Oliver Glasner seemed to extinguish those hopes. Yet, an impressive and unexpected cup run has now placed them on the brink of a European spot, despite their 12th-place position in the Premier League table.

Winning the FA Cup would guarantee Palace a berth in the Europa League. A key figure in their quest to achieve this will be American defender Chris Richards. Similar to the team`s early struggles, Richards had a difficult start to the campaign, needing to earn his place in the starting lineup following the summer recruitment of two new center-backs at Selhurst Park. The recall of Trevoh Chalobah from loan to Chelsea ultimately reopened a starting spot for Richards in Glasner`s preferred back three, and he has firmly established himself there ever since.

Richards has shown significant improvement as a player this season. He has even found a scoring touch on set pieces, contributing a goal and an assist across all competitions. Utilizing his pace effectively, he interplays well with defensive partners like Marc Guehi and Maxence Lacroix. Always recognized for his inherent talent, Richards is now moving into his prime, combining natural ability with crucial match experience. This allows him to make better decisions, positioning himself smartly to avoid being caught out, and leveraging his speed and aerial prowess to keep opposing forwards at bay.

The Palace defense, and Richards specifically, will face a stern test against Manchester City`s attacking threats, including Erling Haaland and potentially Omar Marmoush (Note: Marmoush plays for Wolfsburg, not City. This seems to be an error in the original text, assuming it meant other City forwards). Nevertheless, Palace`s path to the final, which included victories over teams like Aston Villa, Fulham, and Millwall, demonstrates their capability to overcome tough challenges. This is a talented Palace side, and with players such as Eberechi Eze gaining significant experience at the top international level, they are unlikely to be overawed by the grand occasion at Wembley. While they enter the match as clear underdogs against Manchester City, Pep Guardiola`s side has shown susceptibility to unexpected defeats this season. In a one-off cup final, truly anything can happen.

For Chris Richards, this final presents a significant opportunity to become the latest American player to lift a major trophy while competing for a Premier League club. Although many Americans have played in England`s top flight throughout the years, the list of those who have won major silverware during their time there is relatively short.

Technically, the most recent American to achieve this was Zack Steffen, who made appearances for Manchester City during their Premier League triumph in 2021-22. However, there`s a notable history of success for Americans in English football overall. This includes goalkeepers who were instrumental in their teams` glory and a few outfield players who also tasted success. Below is a summary of notable Americans who have won trophies while playing for Premier League clubs. It`s worth noting that John Harkes did win the League Cup with Sheffield Wednesday, but they were in the second division when they achieved that feat.

Americans to win trophies with Premier League teams

Match Details / How to watch the FA Cup final, odds

• Date: Saturday, May 17
• Time: 11:30 a.m. ET
• Location: Wembley Stadium — London
• Live stream: ESPN+
• Odds: Crystal Palace +320; Draw +270; Manchester City -130