Crystal Palace fell to a 3-1 loss at the hands of Liverpool in a match the Eagles will feel they deserved more from.
Palace hit the frame of the goal twice and blew their opponents away in terms of expected goals, but could not secure the three points.
Eagles boss Oliver Glasner believes his team was competitive, but Palace’s usually sturdy defence proved too fragile.
The South Londoners were poor defensively, especially Chris Richards, who had a shocker on the right side of the three-man rearguard.
The American international (36 caps) won only 4/14 duels and lost possession 13 times. To make matters worse, he also missed an excellent chance.
Palace had kept 12 clean sheets in the Premier League before yesterday, boasting one of the stingiest backlines in the English top flight, but they seemed to wilt.
Jaydee Canvot and Maxence Lacroix were also guilty of losing too many duels in a game where they needed to be strong.
Richards, in particular, will view this as a rare off-night rather than a sign of anything deeper.
He has been one of Palace’s most reliable defenders all season, combining physicality with composure in a backline that has largely kept the club competitive.
Performances like this happen, especially against elite opposition, but they do not erase months of consistency. What matters now is the response.
Glasner will demand a quick reset, and Richards has shown enough across the campaign to suggest he can deliver exactly that.
Palace will need the 26-year-old back to his commanding best as they prepare for a crucial Conference League semi-final against Shakhtar Donetsk.
With four league games also remaining, the Eagles are still pushing for a top-half finish.
If Richards rediscovers his usual level, this blip will quickly fade into irrelevance.