Christian Benteke's injury-time header left Sunderland still waiting for a first Premier League win of the season as Crystal Palace came back from 2-0 down to snatch victory.
Jermain Defoe's double -- just his second and third goals at the Stadium of Light since Jan. 2 -- had put Black Cats boss David Moyes within 30 minutes of a much-needed victory in front of a crowd of 38,941.
But Patrick van Aanholt's eventful week took a further turn for the worse when he deflected Joe Ledley's 61st-minute shot past keeper Jordan Pickford and was then beaten to the ball by James McArthur as he made it 2-2 before Benteke struck at the death
With the home side once again misfiring - they were not helped by Steven Pienaar's enforced departure through injury with only 15 minutes gone - the visitors enjoyed the better of the first half, although without converting the pressure into genuine chances.