U.S. men’s national team defenders Chris Richards and Antonee Robinson went head-to-head on Wednesday night across the Atlantic, where they battled in a tightly-contested Carabao Cup clash.

The two Americans are used to being on the same side, working together to help the Stars and Stripes claim victory after victory under Mauricio Pochettino. Richards and Robinson started four of the USMNT’s five games at the 2026 World Cup, and then retained their undisputed places in Pochettino’s XI during the recent fall international break.

But at the club level, they are London rivals. Richards commands Crystal Palace’s backline, while Robinson owns Fulham’s left flank. They typically only play one another twice a season in the Premier League, but in 2026–27, their clubs matched up in the Carabao Cup fourth round.

When the final whistle sounded at Craven Cottage on Wednesday evening, Richards and Palace were on the winning side of a 1–0 result. The scoreline is rather deceiving, though, considering Fulham bossed the game.

Richards Holds Steady As Robinson Falters

The two teams came into Wednesday’s bout rather evenly matched, separated by just one point in the bottom half of the Premier League standings. Fulham had the advantage of playing at home, while Palace had the more experienced squad.

The Cottagers dominated possession and sent chance after chance at Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson, but could not find a breakthrough. Richards was at the center of the visitors’ defensive efforts; the center back had the most defensive contributions (18) in the game, which included a staggering 12 clearances.

Richards also won all of his ground duels, made three tackles and threw his body on the line to block two chances. Not to mention he also only misplaced one pass in 90 minutes.

Fulham kept pushing forward, trying to cancel out Eddie Nketiah’s opener, but there was a brick wall standing in front of Henderson. The hosts ended the night with 14 total shots and an xG of 1.54, yet were held blank thanks to a gritty defensive performance from Richards and Co.

Robinson did what he could to try and get his side on the scoresheet, but he created just one chance and managed a single shot. Even worse, Palace’s winning goal developed down his flank, and he was so out of position on the play that he wasn’t even in the camera shot when Óscar Mingueza whipped in a delicious cross for Nketiah in the 37th minute.

Robinson and Fulham were ultimately knocked out of the Carabao Cup, eliminating the club’s best possibility of winning a trophy this season. Richards and Palace, though, advanced to the last eight and are set to play Sunderland in the quarterfinals.

What’s Next for Richards, Robinson?

Richards and Robinson are both back in action on Sunday. Crystal Palace are headed to north London to take on Tottenham Hotspur, while Fulham have a date with Aston Villa.

The Premier League battles are extremely important for both sides, considering where they sit in the table. The Cottagers are in 15th place with eight points and two spots down are the Eagles with seven points. The clubs are far too close to the relegation zone for comfort.

Palace then are in Europa League action against Hoffenheim on Nov. 5, before they host Liverpool three days later. Since Fulham are not in any European competitions, they only have a match against Newcastle United on Nov. 7 before the November international break.

Both Richards and Robinson are expected to be called-up by Pochettino again, reuniting the two Americans under the same badge. The defenders will be crucial to the Stars and Stripes’ Concacaf Nations League plight, which kicks off against Haiti in the quarterfinals.