9. Carlton Cole (vs Norwich, 2013)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVhoP6rt7Zo Players are paid hundreds of thousands of pounds a week to ply their trade in the Premier League, so you'd expect them to be able to stick a ball in the back of the net from three yards out, right? It doesn't sound like an unreasonable expectation, anyway. However, football doesn't always work like that and Carlton Cole is a prime example of this. Last year, in a league game against West Ham United, West Ham United's Guy Demel sent in a perfect cross across the face of goal for Cole to complete a basic tap-in. The striker slid forth to tuck the ball away, but... Somehow, with his left leg, managed to sail the ball over the crossbar. At least he had the good grace to
make a joke out of himself afterwards, writing on Twitter: Damn just watched match of the day, it really was a Soccer a.m. Taxi for Carlton moment. My mum woulda put that away! #chinup. Cole may have managed to take the clanger in his stride, but his miss was almost costly - the Hammers were 2-0 up at the time and Norwich went on to set up a nervy finale by reducing the deficit to 2-1.