The biggest game of the season (so far) is here as Newcastle United make the short trip to the Stadium of Light to face Sunderland.
It’s one of the fiercest, most exciting derby matches in football, and this meeting has been nine years in the making.
Newcastle United have enjoyed a period of superiority over Sunderland for a while now, but bragging rights are back on the table this Sunday afternoon.
You can pick one player to score the winner against Sunderland on Sunday, who are you going for?
It would be great for Wissa to get his first Toon goal, but imagine the scenes if Bruno scores!😍
Eddie Howe will be under no illusions as to how important this game is. Not only will a win push Newcastle up the table and see them leapfrog Sunderland, it would mean the world to Magpies fans everywhere.
In many ways, the Tyne-Wear derby will come down to mentality and which players can handle the pressure best. But, supporters say there is one key thing that will truly make the difference.
- READ MORE: Sam Allardyce uses just one word to describe Sunderland vs Newcastle United and he’s right
Newcastle cannot switch off against Sunderland
Over on Twitter/X, Newcastle United have done their best to hype up the fans with some inspiring and passionate posts. However, in the replies, supporters have been quick to remind players of something they need to make sure does not happen in the derby.
Yes, we’re talking about Newcastle’s tendency to concede late goals again.
One fan wrote: “If we are winning 2-1 in the 90th minute I am going to be terrified.”
Another said: “Just remember how to play football after the 80th minute please lads.”
A third replied: “We can’t have players switching off. There will be ten minutes of added time, guaranteed. We need to be into them for the 100 minutes from the first second, even if we are two up we can’t just defend… ATTACK, ATTACK, ATTACK!”
Elsewhere, others said “Until the final whistle, yeah?” and “We better be 3 up by the 80th minute.”
We already predicted there will be a late goal in the Tyne-Wear derby, but hopefully it’s one Newcastle supporters can celebrate for a change.
If you couldn’t say Shola Ameobi, who is the one Newcastle player you instantly think about from Tyne-Wear derby history?
Big shoutout to Albert Luque!
Who will handle the pressure best – Sunderland or Newcastle?
Anthony Gordon suggested the pressure is on Sunderland more than Newcastle ahead of today’s game, so it will be interesting to see if the Black Cats crumble.
Newcastle hold the advantage when it comes to having players who have experienced this derby before, and Eddie Howe has obviously managed in this situation before with the 3-0 win in the FA Cup last year.
The Magpies have also been playing on the biggest stage this season with the Champions League, so there’s no reason for them to get overwhelmed on the day.
Regis Le Bris thinks he is the underdog, but will he and his Sunderland players act like it on Sunday afternoon?
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