Illan Meslier's Leeds United howler latest in long line of bizarre goals involving Sunderland

Illan Meslier’s howler against Sunderland last week had fans across the globe talking - but it was far from the first freak goal involving the Black Cats.

The French stopper failed to gather Alan Browne's tame delivery to hand Regis Le Bris' side a late leveller in the 2-2 draw at the Stadium of Light. It kept Sunderland top of the Championship table at this early stage, and became the latest in a long line of unusual strikes in games involving the Wearsiders.

Here are some of the best from recent years

Darren Bent's beach ball goal 

How could we do this list and not mention this goal? Andy Reid put a ball into the box that was flicked on by Steed Malbranque and it fell to Darren Bent in acres of space as he lined-up his shot. In a moment of madness, the ball struck a beach ball that was thrown on to the pitch by a Liverpool supporter and flew past the goalkeeper to give Bent his eighth goal of the season. 

To make matters worse for the Merseysiders, it shouldn’t have counted either. In the laws of the game, the referee should have given a drop ball. It was the latest blow for Liverpool in their shaky start to the 2009/10 season, which came after almost winning the Premier League the season before. 

Bent's goal ensured that the game finished 1-0 to the Wearsiders, while also cementing his place in Premier League folklore as the scorer of one of the strangest goals seen in the league.

Cesc Fabregas' wicked deflection

11 months later, it was Sunderland’s turn to be left with egg on their face. The Black Cats hosted Arsenal in the fifth game of the Premier League campaign and conceded after Anton Ferdinand’s attempted clearance deflected off Cesc Fabregas and looped over Simon Mignolet’s head and into the back of the net from 40 yards out.

Sunderland rode their luck throughout with Tomas Rosicky missing a penalty in the 73rd minute, before Bent levelled in the final minute of the game. The Gunners had previously been reduced to 10 men with Alex Song seeing red.

Charlton's three own goals 

In February 2003, bottom of the league Sunderland hosted Charlton at the Stadium of Light. And when your luck is out, it's out. In the space of eight first half minutes, Sunderland managed to concede three own goals.

The first goal came in the 24th minute - Mark Fish's tame shot from a corner taking a deflection off Jody Craddock before Steven Wright backheeled it into his own net. Michael Proctor was the next to turn into his own net before then getting his second own goal of the game minutes late when he headed a Charlton corner past Thomas Sorensen.

Sunderland did not win a game for the rest of the season and were unsurprisingly relegated. 

A brief taste of revenge

16 years later, and it's another game against Charlton. And it was Sunderland's turn to get revenge, albeit briefly, in the 2018/19 League One play-off final.

A freak own goal by Naby Sarr in the 7th minute saw the Black Cats take the lead at Wembley in bizarre circumstances. A simple backpass to goalkeeper Dylan Phillips caught the stopper unaware and the ball went past him and in. But Charlton would have the last laugh, equalising before snatching victory through Patrick Bauer's injury time winner.

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Santiago Vergini tops off a forgettable day

It's a day Sunderland fans will forever want to forget. In the 2014/15 season, Southampton battered the Black Cats 8-0 at St. Mary’s Stadium. There were another three own goals, but we won’t mention all of them. We will, however, mention Vergini’s.

It was the opening goal of the season and still after all of these years, it's hard to work out what he was doing. The ball fell to him and on the volley, he smashed it in. A stunning strike, just at the wrong end.