---
title: "Crystal Palace Player Ratings: Sunderland (A)"
canonical: "https://readcrystalpalace.com/2016/09/25/crystal-palace-player-ratings-sunderland-2/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Ste Hoare"
section: "Match Day"
published: "2016-09-25T19:58:29Z"
modified: "2016-09-25T19:58:29Z"
---

# Crystal Palace Player Ratings: Sunderland (A)

When you spend £30million on a striker, you do so in the hope that he’ll score big goals for your football club.

That was certainly the case for Crystal Palace as their record signing Christian Benteke scored a late header to complete a marvellous comeback for the Eagles as they won 3-2 at the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland went ahead thanks to a gift from Joe Ledley. The Welshman played a bizarre back pass straight to Jermain Defoe, and the striker made Palace pay.

Defoe doubled Sunderland’s lead on the hour mark with a well-timed finish that put the Eagles up against it.

Ledley atoned for his error just a minute later to make it 2-1 and James McArthur got the Eagles level 15 minutes later with a headed goal.

The game looked to be heading for a draw but deep into injury time, Benteke met Lee Chung-Yong’s free-kick to send the travelling fans into hysterics.

Here are our Palace player ratings from the game: