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Key events
17 min: Sunderland have steadied the listing ship somewhat since that defensive howler by O’Nien was pounced on by Gordon. Now the defender heads a cross clear for another corner to Newcastle …
16 min: Burn pops up on the right wing for Newcastle, trying to play a one-two with Joelinton. But the Brazilian’s touch deserts him somewhat and Burn’s run down the line is all for nought.
14 min: O’Nien with another long throw in an advanced area for Sunderland. Burn climbs to nod it clear. Le Bris looks somewhat ashen-faced on the sidelines after that early concession, arms folded, brow furrowed.
That’s absolutely dreadful from O’Nien. Melker Ellborg, the goalie, taps a goal-kick to the defender. He seems to panic somewhat and doesn’t think he has any option but to try and belt the ball long down the middle … but he gets no elevation on the kick and the ball is intercepted by the towering figure of Woltemade, on the edge of the box. Then it’s with Gordon, who skips away from the cover and buries a confident finish in the far corner. The home fans had been whistling and booing at some perceived time-wasting after their corner. But they are cheering now.
Goal! 9 min: Newcastle 1-0 Sunderland (Gordon)
Horrible error in defence by Sunderland!
9 min: “That’s a really poor decision – Brobbey didn’t foul Burn,” emails Joshua.
Meanwhile Newcastle have a corner … and the fans complain about some potential timewasting.
7 min: Anthony Taylor, the man on the whistle, goes to the dug-outs to tell them to calm down a bit (I think).
Sunderland then have a chance via a long throw from O’Nien, from their right wing, but Ramsdale snaffles it.
6 min: Brian Brobbey spins away from Sven Botman in an advanced area. Sunderland are suddenly in! But the referee brings it back for a foul he’s spotted by Brobbey on the Newcastle defender. There was a bit of shirt-pulling but it looked fairly even-stevens. Brobbey protests to the referee.
5 min: Xhaka gives away a free-kick. Elanga then clashes with Trai Hume in an aerial duel. There’s a high foot from Elanga but nothing malicious.
3 min: Close! Very close! Hall whips in a super cross from wide left. Anthony Elanga times his run perfectly, and meets it with a powerful header from near the penalty spot that flies narrowly over the crossbar. What a start that nearly was for Newcastle …
2 min: Newcastle look to play out with Dan Burn. Chris Rigg produces a strong challenge on Lewis Hall around halfway. The hosts are able to attack down the left but the ball goes out for a goal kick to Sunderland.
1 min: Newcastle are in black-and-white. Sunderland are in blue-and-white.
The noise is … noisy. It’s loud. The fans are up for this, they really are.
First-half kick-off!
Allez!
Keep an eye out for Woltemade. His own-goal settled the meeting in December. Howe’s lineup is certainly attack-minded …
“So, 20 minutes to Bragging Rights, given that sitting 11th and 13th respectively, mid-table mediocrity is already assured,” writes Jeremy. “Pre-season, Toon had their sights set higher, as must the Black Cats after their flying start to their top-flight return. With nothing other than local issues to play for I’m expecting a grindingly hard-watch 1-1 draw, VAR a-go-go, coloured cards and Xhaka sent off, for being too Granite. I think most of the fun will be later on, at the Cheese Shop Stadium.”
Spurs v Forest? That will be a cracker. But this could also be a cracker too. I am contractually obliged to point that out.
“It’s amusing how much different this edition of Tyne-Wear feels for this neutral,” emails Eric. “The novelty of it was overwhelming the first time around this season, in December – we’d gone without it for nine seasons (at least in the league), so for Sunderland to simply bring it back seemed like a big eff-you to their Champions League-living rivals all by itself. I figured at the time, best of luck, Black Cats, because they’d be fighting to avoid relegation if not already doomed to it when this reverse fixture rolled around. Forget the fact that they were somehow still top-half of the table. Promoted sides had gone 0-for-6 surviving that first year in the top tier the last two seasons so, hey, that was just the way of the world. So enjoy yourselves and go have a bit of local glory while it lasted, boys. Now, here we are, and Sunderland can actually leapfrog Newcastle in the table with a win? Really? And to do so the week of Newcastle’s ignominious exit from Europe? Are you serious?”
There has been some talk of Sunderland being fond of a bit of “professionalism” under Le Bris: time-wasting, diving and the like. Leeds fans certainly thought so earlier this month. What do you think? Mail me.
“We know Ballard is a great defender, but Luke is a good player, ready to go,” says the Sunderland manager Le Bris on Sky Sports.
“Injuries are part of the journey in the Premier League. The players with more opportunities have to step up. It’s not easy because the level is high. Togetherness is key. They [the more inexperienced players] have the opportunity to step up.
“We want to play the game, the occasion. After that, we’ll see.”
Le Bris is asked about the 1-0 win against in December.
“The first game was really important, key in our season I think, for us and for our fans.
“Today is a new scenario, a new game, and we want to be proactive. It’s going to be key to match their intensity and play with composure under pressure.”
We are literally less than 20 minutes away from kick-off now.
Luke O’Nien was on the telly a while back, speaking interestingly of the “paradox” of this fixture for Sunderland players. They want to channel the emotion and help that to raise their performance level – but they also want to treat it like any other game.
Notable for a pre-match interview to contain an interesting thought. Well done and thank you, Luke O’Nien!
“G’Day Luke, hope you’re well!” writes Chris Paraskevas.
“A Sunday evening kick-off means this result will be having a tangible impact on my mood this week / year / forever, at work, family functions and during unexpected visits from the parents.
“Us Newcastle fans have had a bizarre and bumpy season, and our position in the table doesn’t lie, owing to our inconsistent performances and multiple false dawns.
“I highly doubt this will be the procession pundits / commentators are calling for: Le Bris’ side are compact, hard working and work well as a unit. We will need to remain disciplined and do what we didn’t during the galling defeat at the Dark Place: fight for it. Anyway, I’ve got my lucky signed bedside portrait from The Mackem Slayer for good luck tonight.”
A signed photo of Shola Ameobi is attached.
Good luck Chris, and thanks for your email.
On the subject of the Middle East war, it was notable that on Friday Pep Guardiola said “the world is going to collapse”, referencing the ongoing war, while sitting in front of an advert for Manchester City Yas Residences in Abu Dhabi. They have presumably seen a downturn in sales inquiries since it all kicked off.
Louise continues …
“Arguably the biggest elephant in the room is the current war in the Middle East. How might the financial damage sustained by Newcastle’s majority owners, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, affect the club?”
Louise Taylor
Almost two decades have passed since Newcastle’s former owner, Mike Ashley, celebrated a Tyne-Wear derby win by gathering a group of club employees together and leading a conga into the St James’ Park boardroom. Sunderland’s then chair, Niall Quinn, and his fellow executives were already inside and responded with polite smiles as they, outwardly at least, failed to take offence. Perhaps fortunately, the visiting manager, Roy Keane, was elsewhere.
Fast forward 18 years and almost regardless of the score when Newcastle host Sunderland on Sunday, the only potential post-match boardroom invasion on the agenda involves a herd of elephants. For no one at Newcastle seems quite ready to spell it out yet, but when Eddie Howe’s team lost 7-2 – 8-3 on aggregate – at Barcelona on Wednesday night and the camouflaging distraction of a Champions League campaign was ripped away, a series of awkward questions resurfaced.
How are you feeling out there, in Newcastle and Sunderland? You can mail me.
Note: You can email me from anywhere in the world, not just Newcastle and Sunderland.
“I think midweek was such a contrasting day of emotions,” Eddie Howe says of the Barcelona battering. “We played really well in the 1st half … it was a bad 45 mins for us, and there’s maybe been an overreaction to that.
“We were immediately focused on this game. Good recovery, good travel back, good preparation to make sure we’re ready.
“We’ve had quite a few things thrown at us this year, a lot of games. We know the importance of the game today. We’ll have to be at our very best.”
He is asked about the absent Sandro Tonali. “We’re running out of central midfielders. A slight reshuffle today. But I still like the team we’ve picked a lot of good attacking players in there.
“We’re at home. We like the players we’ve picked. We’ve got better with the ball through the season … we hope we can be good in attack again. Sunderland have defended well this season.
“Patience. We’re going to need a lot of qualities today. Set-pieces will be important. We’re going to have to get a lot right.”
His Majesty’s Sky Sports have 10 hours of live football on today, including Tottenham v Forest, and the Milk Cup final. Jamie Carragher looks like he wants to go home already.
Louise Taylor
Eddie Howe has asked his Newcastle players to approach the Tyne-Wear derby as if “their lives depend on winning it”. Howe is desperate to end not merely his club’s 10-game winless run in league meetings with Sunderland but avenge the December defeat at the Stadium of Light when Nick Woltemade’s spectacular own goal gave Régis Le Bris’s side victory. While much may be contingent on the psychological fallout of Newcastle’s 7-2 Champions League defeat at Barcelona on Wednesday night, injuries could also shape the outcome. While Howe is hoping Sandro Tonali can overcome a groin problem, Le Bris waits to see whether a raft of key players in Robin Roefs, Nordi Mukiele, Dan Ballard, Reinildo and Enzo Le Fée will be fit to start at St James’ Park. Goals have not exactly been free-flowing for Sunderland in recent weeks but their manager can only be heartened by Newcastle’s failure to keep a clean sheet in all but five of their last 35 games.
Teams
Sandro Tonali and Malick Thiaw are the two players to drop out of Eddie Howe’s starting lineup from the midweek encounter against Barcelona. Tonali has a hip or groin injury. Sven Botman and Nick Woltemade are in.
One change for Sunderland following last weekend’s defeat by Brighton: Luke O’Nien in, Dan Ballard out.
Newcastle (4-3-3): Ramsdale, Trippier, Botman, Burn, Hall; Ramsey, Joelinton, Woltemade; Elanga, Gordon, Barnes. Substitutes: Pope, Wissa, Thiaw, Osula, Livramento, Jacob Murphy, Willock, Alex Murphy, Neave.
Sunderland (4-1-4-1): Ellborg, Geertruida, O’Nien, Alderete, Hume; Xhaka; Rigg, Diarra, Sadiki, Talbi; Brobbey. Substitutes: Moore, Cirkin, Mayenda, Mandava, Isidor, Mukiele, Le Fee, Harrison Jones, Jenson Jones.
Referee: Anthony Taylor (Cheshire)
Preamble
It’s a big week for Newcastle. Some might say massive. They initially gave an excellent account of themselves against Barcelona on Wednesday, trailing 3-2 after an enthralling first half. The second half did not go so well. Eddie Howe’s men were eventually beaten 7-2 on the night and 8-3 on aggregate, overwhelmed by Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and co.
The sporting challenge against Sunderland will be quite different – let’s be honest, they have a somewhat less free-flowing style than Barça – but if Eddie Howe’s side can achieve a first top-flight win against the Black Cats since 2010, the Camp Nou capitulation will be forgiven and forgotten.
Régis Le Bris and his Sunderland players arrive with the incentive that three points would see them leapfrog Newcastle: the Magpies are 11th, on 42pts, today’s visitors are 13th, sitting on the symbolic figure of 40. History is absolutely on Sunderland’s side, in that they have won seven and drawn three of the past 10 league meetings between these sides. Howe will hope history counts for nothing this afternoon.
Kick-off: 12pm GMT
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