Regis Le Bris’s flying side take three points but Newcastle could hardly complain after offering barely anything the entire game
Before Sunday it had been nearly ten years since Sunderland faced Newcastle in the Premier League, but the latest tie at the Stadium of Light showed that the Tyne-Wear derby has lost none of its spice.
The Black Cats lost 3-0 to Newcastle in the FA Cup the last time these two sides met two seasons ago, but this time around they continued a brilliant campaign by claiming the local bragging rights in front of their fans with a narrow 1-0 victory that took them provisionally to seventh in the table, with 26 points in 16 games. Surely they are staying up now and it is simply a matter of when it will be rubber-stamped.
Newcastle on the other hand are back down to 12th place, although their dream of qualifying for Champions League football back to back is far from over, given the packed midtable this season.
The derby itself, tense and steeped in an atmosphere of stinging banter, was decided one minute into the second half when Nick Woltemade turned Nordi Mukiele’s cross into his own net. The goal would have been excellent if it was at the other end. The Newcastle forward rose to clear but instead sent a header flying over Aaron Ramsdale and in off the crossbar.
It was a brutal way for Newcastle to fall behind in a derby but they could hardly complain, barely offering anything the entire game. It wasn’t until late in the second half when Bruno Guimaraes wove through traffic and fired a shot at Robin Roefs that it looked like they had any decent chances in them. “It’s a horrible feeling, it’s very painful,” said manager Eddie Howe.
Sunderland controlled territory while the visitors looked jaded, perhaps struggling to cope with their midweek exertions against Bayer Leverkusen in Germany. No one ever said Champions League football was easy.
The opening half hung in the balance and both sides were nipping at each other like their fans would have wanted, but Sunderland always looked like the better side. They worked the flanks through Mukiele and Reinildo, forcing Newcastle into repeated clearances, while the visitors sat embarrassingly deep and their only moments came from set pieces that failed to trouble Roefs. “The effort was there but the quality wasn’t,” Howe said. “We were disappointed with our creative output. We haven’t delivered.”
Sunderland did. Dan Ballard’s header over the bar from a Granit Xhaka delivery just before half time was a piece of foreshadowing. Just a minute after the break Mukiele’s cross was turned in by Woltemade and the Stadium of Light rose to the occasion.
Regis Le Bris’s side rode the waves and pushed Newcastle even deeper. Howe brought on Harvey Barnes, Jacob Murphy and Joe Willock hoping to shake off the lethargy but only captain Guimaraes went on a one-man mission looking for the equaliser, testing Roefs twice.
Sunderland were as organised as they have been at home so far this season so it was hardly surprising they remained comfortable defending their lead. “The lads were incredible,” said Le Bris. “We were mature and composed under the pressure. Sometimes we were even a bit too patient.”
There was even a chance to double their lead but Ramsdale made a sharp save from substitute Wilson Isidor. The red mist descended in stoppage time and tempers flared between both sides, but it was Sunderland who were laughing in the end. The Black Cats gathered on the pitch and took photos, mirroring a similar celebration by Newcastle when they beat Sunderland two seasons ago. “It was adaptive, creative,” said Le Bris. “I’m proud and happy. The win is well deserved. The lads were incredible.”
