Off the back of defeating Fiorentina in the UEFA Conference League quarter-finals in aggregate, Palace will be looking to win three consecutive league matches against West Ham for the very first time, in what will be the 50th league meeting of the two clubs.

But London rivals West Ham have experienced something of a revival of late, winning five of their last 11 Premier League games to turn their fortunes around and escape the relegation zone – form which Richards recognised ahead of the game.

The defender told [News Shopper](https://www.newsshopper.co.uk/sport/26033081.crystal-palaces-chris-richards-celebrates-conference-league-success/): "They’re a team fighting for their survival but they've also cut a hot streak as of late, so hopefully we can cool it down a little bit. 

“Regardless, we want to continue to climb up the table and we want to be very competitive in both competitions that we're in, so we're not taking our foot off of the gas at all and hopefully we get a win on Monday night.

“We don't expect an easy game. We just need to go out there and put in a performance like [against Fiorentina], hopefully with fewer goals conceded! 

"We’re going to go out there for 90 minutes plus on Monday night and hopefully come out with the win.”

One of the things about him is that he's willing to learn

Richards was asked about the impressive recent performances of 19-year-old Jaydee Canvot, who has enjoyed a fine debut campaign in the red and blue since his summer switch from Toulouse.

“Everybody saw his talent coming in,” Richards recalled. “Being 19… I remember being 19 and playing at a decent level and sometimes you're rough around the edges, but one of the things about him is that he's willing to learn. 

“He's asking questions, asking the right questions, leaning on people for advice. I'm really happy that everybody else is also starting to see know how well he's done for us. He'll be a big part of our future.”


As for his own campaign, Richards has been a near ever-present in Palace’s ground-breaking 2025/26 season so far, failing to feature in just eight of the Eagles’ 50 matches played in all competitions thus far.

With seven Premier League games left to go, and at least two more – hopefully three – in Europe, the United States international feels he and his teammates have benefitted from the experience of the rigorous campaign.

“[In Europe] you have to sometimes adapt to different playing styles, different countries, how they play, different referees…” he reflected. “Everything's different to the Prem. 

“It's different things that you have to learn, and it's only experience that you can gain by playing in Europe, so every game, regardless of if we won, lost or drew, was a learning experience, and we’ll be taking that into the next round.

“Shakhtar [Donetsk] in the semis – it’s exciting! If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best. Our next challenge is beating Shakhtar. They've done really well. They deserve a semi-final as well, so if we go in there and give them two hard games we’ll hopefully come out on top.

“My job is go out there and put in good performances for this club and if it results in history, then so be it. But we're trying not to look too far ahead. We do understand this is our first time playing in Europe, and being able to bring a semi-final to Selhurst will be amazing. 

“Hopefully we can give the fans a win and progress to the next round. But every chapter, every game that we play, has been history for Crystal Palace.“

### **Match Details**

**Crystal Palace v West Ham United**

- Monday, 20th April
- 20:00 BST
- Selhurst Park
- [Live audio commentary on Palace TV+](https://www.cpfc.co.uk/supporters/palace-tv-plus/)

Chris Richards hopes to use the same belief which saw Palace reach a European semi-final early this week – and stymie West Ham United’s recent revival in the process – when the Eagles host the Hammers at Selhurst Park on Monday evening.

Richards on West Ham challenge, Jaydee Canvot & a European semi-final

Crystal Palace v West Ham United (2026-04-20)

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Back the Eagles!

Last May, it was announced that [Crystal Palace Women would be competing in the newly-named Women's Super League 2.](https://www.cpfc.co.uk/news/announcement/palace-women-to-compete-in-newly-named-wsl2-from-2025-26/)

Along with a new name - the WSL2 has a new structure for this season. 

In previous years, only the top team would earn promotion to the WSL,  this was how Palace earned WSL promotion in the 2023/24 season.

However, for this season only, up to three teams can go up - making this a totally unique campaign for Jo Potter's side.

#### **Who gets promoted to the WSL this season?**

- Like previous years, the first-place side will earn automatic promotion to the WSL.
- The second-place team will also earn automatic promotion to the topflight.
- The third-place team will contest a playoff game against the bottom side in the WSL, with the winner taking the last spot in the topflight.

The 2025/26 format is unique to this campaign, as from the 2026/27 season onwards - the second-place team will contest the playoff against the 13th-place WSL side.

This means the WSL will have 14 teams instead of 12 from the 2026/27 season.

#### **What do Palace need to do?**

Following the recent 1-0 win over Ipswich Town, Palace Women are now in third-place with 38 points - the promotion playoff position.

Birmingham now sit in first-place, six points ahead of Palace on 41 points.

Second-place Charlton Athletic are also on 41 points, but have a significantly worse goal difference than the Blues.

Fourth-place Newcastle United find themselves on 33 points, and must win both of their remaining games to have a chance at making the playoff.

**If Palace win one of their two remaining games**, they will guarantee a promotion playoff spot as a minimum.

**To catch Birmingham**, Palace will need to win both games, and hope the Blues earn no more than two points from their remaining two games.

**To catch Charlton**, Palace will need to win all three games, and hope the Addicks fail to win both of their two remaining games.

It's all set to be a dramatic final day - as Palace host 12th-place Portsmouth, whilst Charlton take on Birmingham at home.

Check out our remaining fixtures below:

- **Sunday, 26th April - Sunderland Women v Crystal Palace Women (KO: 14:00 BST)**
- **Saturday, 2nd May - Crystal Palace Women v Portsmouth Women (KO: 15:00 BST)**

**Tickets are available for that huge home clash at the VBS Community Stadium - click below to buy your tickets!**

Buy Palace v Portsmouth tickets!

Two games separate Crystal Palace Women from a potential spot in the Women's Super League. Read below to see what Palace need in order to secure an immediate return to the topflight...

The Run-In: What do Palace need to get promoted?

Crystal Palace Women v Portsmouth Women (2026-05-02)

Sunderland Women v Crystal Palace Women (2026-04-26)

Ipswich Town Women

Women's Super League 2

Crystal Palace Women

Sunderland Women

Crystal Palace FC's first-ever major European adventure is underway, as we battle to win the UEFA Conference League. Find out how you can join us on our journey.

European Tour

## From Academy to Premier League

> Having joined the Palace Academy from Brentford in 2016, Tyrick Mitchell rose to prominence rapidly at Palace and set the record for the youngest-ever player to make 200 Premier League appearances for the club.

Mitchell was a regular in both of Palace's Under-18 and Under-23 Professional Development League South winning teams in 2017/18 as he spent a second campaign featuring at both levels.

A recruit from Brentford at the end of the 2015/16 season, Mitchell, an attacking left-back with bundles of pace, impressed sufficiently for the Academy side to be handed a chance with the Development team in 2016. He used that experience to his advantage in 17/18 as he helped his two teams to silverware.

In 2018/19, Mitchell was a regular fixture in Richard Shaw's U23s team and joined the first-team on their pre-season tour in the summer of 2019.

After returning from an injury sustained while on tour, Mitchell made several first-team squads and earned his Premier League debut against Leicester City in July 2020. He went on to secure his first Premier League start by playing the full 90 minutes against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

In April 2021, he signed a contract extension through til the end of 2024/25. Mitchell then followed this up with his first goal and assist for the Eagles, as helped the side to a 3-2 victory over Aston Villa in May 2021.

His performances throughout 21/22 saw him earn a senior England call-up for the first time in March 2022, making his debut in a 2-1 win over Switzerland.

Mitchell was nearly ever-present in 2022/23, featuring for Palace in 38 out of a possible 41 games in all competitions. He made his 100th appearance in red and blue against Tottenham Hotspur towards the end of the campaign and was also awarded the PFA Community Champion Award for his support for the Palace for Life Foundation.

He was again so close to being ever-present in 2023/24, this time only missing a single game through injury. Nevertheless, he continued to make the left-back position his own, and even stepping further forward as a left wing-back under new manager Oliver Glasner. Mitchell concldued the campaign with his best attacking returns, with two goals and three assists.

In 2024/25, Mitchell was one of the first names on the teamsheet - featuring in 37 out of a possible 38 league games. He kept 11 clean sheets in the league, assisting five times. 

He also kept four clean sheets in the games he featured in as Palace lifted the FA Cup.

November 2021, December 2023

Crystal Palace Player of the Month

Crystal Palace, 2021/22

Young Player of the Season

Crystal Palace, 2022/23

PFA Community Champion

Mitchell

Twitter

Instagram

Appearances

Goals

Tyrick reflects on his 200th Premier League appearance

Best of Tyrick Mitchell | Newcastle (H)

Match Action: Crystal Palace 3-0 Fiorentina

Doc Brown meets Tyrick Mitchell

CCTV | The Team prepare for Shelbourne

Net88's November Player of the Month: Tyrick Mitchell

Best of Tyrick Mitchell | Fulham (A)

Match Highlights | RC Strasbourg 2-1 Crystal Palace

Mitchell previews Wolves 

Access All Over | Crystal Palace v Brighton

The best of Tyrick Mitchell | Brighton (H)

The best of our Defenders | Brighton (H)

Tyrick on hard-fought draw

From South London to Europe | This Is Our Night

CCTV | Internationals Returns

Goals Inside Box

Goals Outside Box

Right Foot

Left Foot

Shots

Shots on target

Hit woodwork

Penalties taken

Penalties scored

Touches

Touches in opposition box

Aerial duels

Aerial duels won

Interceptions

Blocks

Recoveries

Tackles won

Duels won

Clearances

Minutes

Attempted passes

Successful passes

Chances created

Crosses

Yellow cards

Red cards

Fouls won

Fouls Conceded

Season

Games

Get ready for Europe!

With a place in the Final in Leipzig up for grabs, the Eagles will first take on the Ukrainian title challengers at Henryk Reyman Municipal Stadium on Thursday 30th April (20:00 BST / 21:00 CEST local time), with an allocation of 2,000 Palace supporters.

Following the success of our trips to Strasbourg, Mostar and Florence, and in order to provide supporters with a convenient way of attending the first leg in Poland, we are pleased to once again be delivering a number of official supporter travel packages, **in association with Sportsworld**.

**Packages start at £425 per person** with three different packages available; a flight-only package, one-night stay option or a one-night VIP experience.

**Supporters are advised that both the flight-only packages and standard one-night trip do not include a ticket for the match, and this must be purchased through the club when they go on sale in the coming days.**

**If you are purchasing a VIP package, you will have the option to buy a Category 1 match ticket. The club will contact you directly to organise purchase and payment of this ticket.**

See packages

#### **1. VIP package**

- Return private CPFC charter flight from London Gatwick to Krakow
- Private coach return transfers from the airport to your hotel, the city centre and the stadium
- Pre-match hospitality, including lunch and drinks
- 1-night stay at DoubleTree by Hilton Kraków Hotel (or similar)
- Sportsworld Guides
- Access to purchase Category 1 Match Ticket

**Price:** £845 per person

Book VIP package

#### **2. Standard one-night trip package**

- Return private CPFC charter flight from London Gatwick to Krakow
- One-night stay at Hampton by Hilton Kraków (or similar)
- Private coach returns transfers from the airport to your hotel, the city centre and the stadium
- Sportsworld Guides

**Price:** £599 per person

Book standard package

#### **3. Standard flight & transfer package**

- Return private CPFC charter flight from London Gatwick to Krakow
- Sportsworld Guides

**Price:** £425 per person

Book flight & transfer package

### **Important information**

- All communications for the trip will be handled by Sportsworld. This includes pre-flight emails with additional instructions, plus a WhatsApp group for additional details, coordination and on-the-day logistics.
- Supporters will be able to bring hand luggage on the trip only.
- Please note, only Premium packages include the option to purchase a Category 1 match ticket.
- Supporters can buy multiple seats on the flight. Please note, if you would like to sit together, you will need to check-in for the flight at the same time.

Book now

### Match Details

**Shakhtar Donetsk v Crystal Palace**

- Thursday, 30th April
- 20:00 BST / 21:00 CEST local time
- UEFA Conference League semi-final, first leg
- Henryk Reyman Municipal Stadium

Crystal Palace have reached a first-ever major European semi-final – and we are delighted to announce details of a private chartered flight trip for the first leg of that UEFA Conference League tie with Shakhtar Donetsk, which will be played in Krakow, Poland.

The ultimate away day: Details of our semi-final Dedicated Fan Plane Trip

Shakhtar Donetsk v Crystal Palace (2026-04-30)

The Eagles turn their attentions back to domestic action after UEFA Conference League quarter-final success in Florence, looking to make it three wins in a row against the Hammers in the Premier League.

In a preview interview conducted ahead of Palace's successful trip to Italy, Glasner discussed his hopes of producing another big performance under the Selhurst Park lights, against a Hammers side who have won five of their last 11 Premier League matches, clambering out of the relegation zone in the process...

**Read on for the key quotes below!**

#### **On what can still be achieved in the Premier League this season…**

“We stopped a few weeks ago, or maybe months, talking about league positions.

“We focused more on the way we are playing, on the football we want to show on the pitch, and this helped us to perform better.

“The consequence of this was that we got more points and more wins. I think this is what we need to keep until the end of the season.

We expect them to be highly motivated and very aggressive

“We’re not talking about the table because it's so tight and things can happen. It can change quickly, so really our focus is on our football, what we want to do, what we have to do.

“And we want to feel this great energy and spirit – then we will see and at the end [of the season] we will get what we deserve.”

#### **On the challenge of facing West Ham…**

“Huge credit to Nuno for what he did [since his appointment]. They were really struggling at the beginning of the season and even when he arrived, but in the last weeks they feel more consistent.

“I think honestly they maybe should have more points from their performances in the recent games they played. They only conceded a late equaliser against Manchester United at home.

“They had a great and important 4-0 win against Wolves at home in their last game. We expect them to be highly motivated and very aggressive because they're fighting against relegation.

“That's what we have to be ready for, to match their aggression and motivation. But the players showed it against Newcastle because it was the same situation. Newcastle were fresh and we had three days after a game in the Conference League.

“But we matched their intensity and motivation. If we can keep this, I think we'll also be able to win against West Ham.”

#### **How he will use his squad against West Ham, as the European journey continues to the final part of the season…**

“We will always see how the players are recovering. If players are still fatigued, it’s better to play ones who are fresh.

“You need to be 100% fit to be competitive in the Premier League. As soon as we have a feeling maybe a player is just 95%, another one will play and now we have better depth in the squad. At the moment we don't have a lot of injuries so this gives us the opportunity to make more changes if necessary.

“We had to make a change when Evann [Guessand] got injured in the first Fiorentina game, but this can happen.

“But we will always play the best available team.

“As soon as you’re not on your top level it's really tough to win games.”

#### **On Jean-Philippe Mateta’s recent impact on the team…**

“I'm always learning from my players and I learned about JP. He's just such a fantastic person, such a lovely person.

“Everybody likes him because he's funny, but he's always working very hard.

“He's so professional. He's always the first one coming in in the morning. Then most of the time, he is the last one leaving. Sometimes he's two hours on the bed taking a massage.

“He tries to improve his game and he always plays for the team because he also understands that the better the team plays, the more chances he gets and the more goals he will score.

“He depends on his teammates and the teammates depend on him… that's why football is such an amazing team sport.”

#### **On Tyrick Mitchell's development over the last two years…**

"T was always one of the best defenders in the Premier League and I think he improved his attacking game massively not just by scoring goals and getting assists, but also really being a constant threat to the opposition. 

"At the beginning [left wing-back] was new for him but that also shows him as a player and as a person that he was always open and wanted to get input on how he can improve his attacking game.

"He just worked hard on the pitch and then he gets the benefit – and if he gets the benefit, we all get the benefit, and that's what we really like."

### **Match Details**

**Crystal Palace v West Ham United**

- Monday, 20th April
- 20:00 BST
- Selhurst Park
- [Live audio commentary on Palace TV+](https://www.cpfc.co.uk/supporters/palace-tv-plus/)

Oliver Glasner has been speaking ahead of Monday night's visit from West Ham United, as Crystal Palace return to Premier League action (20:00 BST) following another memorable European away day. 

First-team

First-team

Richards on West Ham challenge, Jaydee Canvot & a European semi-final

The ultimate away day: Details of our semi-final Dedicated Fan Plane Trip

Glasner on Premier League aims & what he expects from West Ham

Get ready for Europe!

3Tyrick
Mitchell

First-team

First-team

Richards on West Ham challenge, Jaydee Canvot & a European semi-final

The ultimate away day: Details of our semi-final Dedicated Fan Plane Trip

Glasner on Premier League aims & what he expects from West Ham

Get ready for Europe!

3TyrickMitchell

3Tyrick
Mitchell