Crystal Palace v Sunderland: The last five at Selhurst Park remembered '“ as the Black Cats go for a hat-trick

The Black Cats are rock-bottom but will draw level on points with the third-bottom Eagles if they make it three successive victories at Selhurst Park.

Sunderland won with a Jermain Defoe goal there on a Monday night in November last season, and enjoyed a 3-1 triumph in 2014-15. Can they make it a hat-trick today?

Here we look back at the Lads’ last five trips to Crystal Palace.

Crystal Palace 0 Sunderland 1

November 23, 2015

Sunderland gained a stunning win against Alan Pardew’s Crystal Palace after Jermain Defoe’s crucial goal.

Black Cats boss Sam Allardyce said he wanted Sunderland ‘not to lose’ the game – and he got his wish, and more, in a frantic match that was lacking in quality at times.

But Allardyce did not care about that after Defoe pounced on a terrible mix-up between Palace defender Scott Dann and keeper Wayne Hennessey to roll home into an empty net with 10 minutes left.

It was no more than Sunderland deserved after a fine display from the away team at Selhurst Park

Palace striker Connor Wickham was well marshalled against his old team – so much so that he was almost anonymous for vast parts of the game.

Sunderland went closest to opening the scoring on 52 minutes when Coates saw his header cleared off the line from a Seb Larsson corner by former Newcastle midfielder Yohan Cabaye.

The goal came when Defoe put pressure on Dann for a hopeful through ball, the Palace centre-half inexplicably failed to clear his lines, allowing the Sunderland striker to nick the ball past Hennessey and pass it into an open net.

Crystal Palace 1 Sunderland 3

November 3, 2014

Steven Fletcher’s double ended Sunderland’s Monday night hoodoo, as the Black Cats moved out of the Premier League relegation zone with a 3-1 win.

Despite being on the back foot for long periods at Crystal Palace, a gutsy Sunderland side stopped the rot from back-to-back defeats - which had seen them concede 10 goals in the process - to record only a second Premier League victory of the campaign.

After surviving a penalty shout within the opening 30 seconds, Sunderland took a first-half lead when Fletcher headed home.

Palace equalised early in the second half when substitute Wes Brown sent the ball into his own net past debutant keeper Costel Pantilimon - the fourth own goal Sunderland had conceded in the space of 16 days.

But, with 11 minutes to go, Jordi Gomez regained the advantage for the visitors when he stroked the ball into the bottom corner, before Palace were reduced to 10 men in the dying stages.

Sunderland made the game safe in stoppage time when Fletcher netted his fourth goal of the season to secure the Black Cats’ first win on a Monday since 2002.

The win came at a cost though, with left-back Patrick van Aanholt suffering a dislocated shoulder and Lee Cattermole earning a one-match ban for a fifth yellow card of the season.

Crystal Palace 3 Sunderland 1

August 31, 2013

In a match remembered for Ji Dong-won ducking as a Sunderland cross went into the box, John O’Shea’s clanger cost Sunderland a point at newly-promoted Crystal Palace, as the Black Cats suffered a second Premier League defeat out of three.

Steven Fletcher’s goal on his Sunderland comeback looked to have a rescued a draw for Paolo Di Canio’s side after a dreadful first-half performance at Selhurst Park, but it was not to be.

Danny Gabbidon bundled the ball home in the ninth minute, as Sunderland conceded from a set piece for the third successive top-flight outing.

But after the half-time introduction of Fletcher, Sunderland drew level when the Scotland international - making his first appearance since March - headed home Jack Colback’s cross.

Sunderland looked like they would come away with at least a point, but then catastrophe struck as O’Shea was caught napping and brought down Dwight Gayle for both a penalty and a red card.

Gayle scored from the spot before Palace sealed a 3-1 win in stoppage time when Stuart O’Keefe curled home a beautiful shot from the edge of the area.

Crystal Palace 1 Sunderland 0

December 22, 2006

Sunderland boss Roy Keane saw his seven-match unbeaten run ended as Mark Hudson scored the only goal for Palace in a tight Championship battle at Selhurst Park on a pre-Christmas Friday night showdown.

Midfielder Grant Leadbitter missed out with a good opportunity for Sunderland, then Palace striker Clinton Morrison failed to make the most of a clear chance.

The Eagles, though, secured the points with Finnish striker Shefki Kuqi won an aerial battle in the box.

In response, Stan Varga was denied by a smart Julian Speroni save and Dean Whitehead headed just over the bar.

Keane said: “The game was there for the taking and we were looking to go on to the next step in terms of getting near the play-offs, but clearly we’re not ready.”

Crystal Palace 3 Sunderland 0

April 21, 2004

Sunderland’s slim chances of automatic promotion suffered a fatal blow as Crystal Palace boosted their First Division play-off push with a convincing win.

Striker Andy Johnson gave Palace a 21st minute lead, coolly converting a penalty right down the middle after being fouled by keeper Mart Poom, who was duly sent off.

Johnson beat Thomas Myhre from the spot.

Sunderland rarely threatened to get on terms, and it was all over on 63 minutes as Neil Shipperley finished off good work from winger Wayne Routledge.

Dougie Freedman hit a killer third goal in the 80th minute, shortly after coming on as a sub.

Sunderland’s defeat confirmed Norwich’s promotion and left West Brom needing just a point to join them in the Premier League.