'Unbelievable' - Paul Merson, Jeff Stelling and Michael Dawson can't believe what Sunderland did

The Black Cats were 2-0 up at the time following Patrick Roberts’ first-half brace. Sunderland continued to control the game in the second half and scored an early contender for goal of the season.

It started with Patterson in goal, who knocked it to Luke O’Nien. The ball then came to Corry Evans in the middle, who laid it off to Lynden Gooch. The American passed the ball up the line to Dan Neil.

The midfielder quickly knocked it to Patrick Roberts, who beautifully helped the ball on its way to midfield maestro Alex Pritchard who sent Neil through down the right-hand side.

Neil bent a superb cross-come-pass to Jack Clarke in the box, who took a touch and finished superbly. All in all the goal took 18 seconds for Sunderland to score, with eight passes and eight different players involved.

And on Sky Sports program Soccer Saturday, pundits Jeff Stelling, Paul Merson and Michael Dawson were quick to praise the goal.

Merson said: “Unbelievable. What a goal. Look at this here. Playstation football.”

On Neil’s touch to Roberts, Merson added: This now. This touch here. That’s seeing the picture. That is such awareness.

Stelling interjected: “The first touch and the cross from Dan Neil.”

On Clarke’s finish. “Everything and then the touch here again. An unbelievable goal. What a goal.

When replays are shown of Neil’s flick to Roberts, Merson said: “This is the one. Look at that flick. I mean…”

Dawson then interjected to add: “That was with no centre forward as well at the time as well. Ellis Simms had gone off. No Ross Stewart with injury. Magnificent. Absolutely magnificent.

Merson then said: “In my opinion, that’s goal of the season already. In my opinion, if you’re talking goals, I mean, we will see people hit a 50-yard from the halfway line but that will happen on a Sunday morning. That [Sunderland’s goal] won’t happen on a Sunday morning.”

The Black Cats followed up on their win at Reading with a 2-2 draw against Watford at Vicarage Road.