Much has been made of the pressure that comes with the Tyne-Wear derby, but which set of players is best suited to the intense atmosphere we will see at the Stadium of Light?
Newcastle United are in a rich vein of form right now, with a four-game unbeaten run in the Premier League heading into this weekend.
Which Newcastle United player do you trust most to handle the pressure of a Tyne-Wear derby?
We’re going for captain Bruno 😍
It will all count for nothing if Eddie Howe and co. can’t get a win against bitter rivals Sunderland this weekend. Anthony Gordon says the pressure is on Sunderland, but only time will tell as to which team feels the heat on the day.
However, going into the game, we’ve noticed one very interesting thing about both clubs when it comes to the way they’re getting hyped up on social media.
Newcastle United’s social post is very different to Sunderland’s
Over on Newcastle’s Twitter/X account, there was a post on Sunday morning with an inspiring video (as you can see below) featuring some of the famous goals scored by the Magpies in the Tyne-Wear derby over the years.
It’s a rousing clip that Newcastle fans will find impossible not to be inspired by, and it’s hoped the players have seen the same thing and getting ready to punish Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
However, the Black Cats have taken a different approach. On 10 December, Sunderland posted a clip of some huge tackles being put in during derbies of the past, with a clear intention to go for a more combative approach to the game.
Maybe we shouldn’t read too much into this, but it certainly seems Newcastle are more focused on scoring goals and winning the game, while Sunderland appear to be focused on causing a stir and making life difficult (and painful) for their opponents.
I’m not saying Sunderland players will be going out to hurt Newcastle players, but it is telling that the Newcastle approach seems to be more calm and clinical than the aggressive tone taken by the Black Cats’ social team.
Are Newcastle taking it too lightly? Or is this just an example of pre-match mind games? I’d say Newcastle have won this battle, but it’s all about the one on the pitch now.
- READ MORE: Regis Le Bris settles the debate on who the ‘underdogs’ are for Sunderland vs Newcastle United
What pundits think will happen in Sunderland vs Newcastle
Sam Allardyce thinks the Tyne-Wear derby will be ‘epic’ and hopefully he’s absolutely right.
When it comes to actually predicting the game, Alan Shearer believes Newcastle will win. He said form will go out of the window today, and thinks it will be an exciting encounter.
This is our predicted Newcastle XI to face Sunderland! Would you make any changes?
I would start Miley, but I think Howe will go with Joelinton.
However, Chris Sutton thinks Sunderland will win. The pundit cited Newcastle’s poor away form as a key factor in his prediction.
We’re hopeful of a Newcastle win for a number of reasons. The Magpies have never lost four league games in a row against Sunderland, for a start. Newcastle also perform well after a Champions League game, usually.
Based on current patterns, we think the Tyne-Wear derby will be a cracking affair, with lots of goals, maybe a penalty or two, and potentially a late goal (hopefully for Newcastle, not against them).
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