Richards: We’re looking forward to finishing strongly

With two matches left to play, starting with a final away game of the season at Wolverhampton Wanderers this afternoon, the Eagles are on a five-match unbeaten run, having thumped Manchester United 4-0 at Selhurst Park on Monday.

Palace could, mathematically if improbably, still finish as high as ninth in the table; they go into Saturday’s game just three points behind their hosts, Wolves, in 12th. With six points left to vie for, they have all to play for in terms of Premier League rankings.

Recalling their latest win over United, Richards told Premier League Productions: “It’s always good winning at home, especially having a shutout. It doesn’t really get much better than that!

“I think it’s always nice to score four. I think we could have gotten a bit more, but that just shows the potential that we have to play against whatever team in the league.

“He [Glasner] has kind of changed our philosophy. I think the first half of the season we were standing off a bit too much, and he came in and said that we needed to go at every team, we need to be aggressive, be on the front foot.

“I think it’s paid off. We’ve had a lot of good results since he’s come in, and we’re really looking forward to the rest of the season and finishing strongly.

“We want to finish the season on a high note, and hopefully bring that momentum into the next season, so we can have a good season next year.”

Having netted his first goal for Palace in Glasner’s first game – against Burnley in February – Richards registered his first assist for the club on Monday night, stepping into midfield and picking out Jean-Philippe Mateta with a quick ball forwards; in some style, the red-hot striker did the rest.

Nevertheless, Richards is enjoying playing on the front foot alongside in-form creative talents like Mateta, Ebere Eze, Michael Olise and co., smiling: “It’s a great feeling, you know? You just give the ball to them and let them do whatever they need to do.

“I think I got an assist – I don’t know if that’s what you call it! – so you get the ball to them and let them dribble, and hopefully put a few in the back of the net.

“I think it [Monday] was down to our play. Of course, we knew the quality that United have, and we just tried our best to eliminate that, and let the people up front do the scoring, so we knew if we could keep their forwards and their attack quiet, then we’d get a good result.”