Blackburn Rovers joined exclusive club with just six members thanks to mad moment against Charlton Athletic

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Blackburn Rovers travel to Charlton Athletic this weekend and will be hoping for a moment of magic one of their former players provided in the clubs’ mad meeting in 2004.

Rovers are looking to secure back-to-back Championship wins this Saturday at The Valley after their last clash with Ipswich Town was abandoned due to a waterlogged pitch.

Charlton, meanwhile, are coming off the back of spoiling Chris Wilder’s Sheffield United homecoming last weekend after a last-minute 1-0 win over the Blades.

The clubs haven’t met since the Addicks were last in the Championship in 2020 – but it’s a clash from 21 years ago that fans always remember when these two former Premier League clubs meet.

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Brad Friedel thought he’d scored incredible equaliser against Charlton Athletic

Blackburn made the trip down to south east London with Charlton Athletic chasing a spot in Europe in February of the 2003/04 season under Alan Curbishley.

The Addicks went 2-0 up courtesy of goals from Chelsea loanee Carlton Cole and Jason Euell. However, Rovers tried to mount a late comeback, scoring in the 74th minute via Andy Cole.

Then, all four corners of The Valley were left stunned as none other than Rovers’ goalkeeper Brad Friedel, who had left his box for a corner in the dying moments of the game, found himself with the ball and unmarked in front of goal. He tapped the ball into the back of the net to make it 2-2 before running off and being mobbed by his teammates.

Charlton weren’t done there, though, as Claus Jensen fired in a volley in the second minute of added time to break Friedel’s heart and deny him hero status.

Blackburn Rovers are one of six clubs to have a goalkeeper score for them in Premier League history

Friedel did put himself in an exclusive club after scoring against the Addicks, though. The only other Premier League goalkeeper to have scored a goal in the competition at that point was Peter Schmeichel who did so against Everton for Aston Villa in 2001.

Only six clubs have ever had a goalkeeper score against them, with Watford, Bolton, Southampton and West Bromwich Albion joining Charlton and Everton since Friedel’s effort.

All Premier League goalkeepers to have scored a goal

1. Peter Schemeichel vs Everton (Aston Villa)
2. Brad Friedel vs Charlton Athletic (Blackburn Rovers)
3. Paul Robinson vs Watford (Tottenham Hotspur)
4. Tim Howard vs Bolton Wanderers (Everton)
5. Asmir Begovic vs Southampton (Stoke City)
6. Alisson Becker vs West Bromwich Albion (Liverpool)

Liverpool’s Alisson Becker is the latest goalkeeper to have scored a goal in the Premier League, doing so during the Covid season.