It would only be natural for Newcastle United fans to fear the imminent return of the Tyne-Wear derby.
Indeed, Sunderland versus Newcastle United is surely the standout fixture in the Premier League this weekend.
The Black Cats have little to lose, while Newcastle United have it all to prove after an inconsistent campaign under Eddie Howe.
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!
Such has been their strong start to the season, Sunderland may even be seen as slight favourites – given the fact they haven’t lost at home yet and Newcastle struggle away.
However, there are genuine reasons to believe that Newcastle will win the Tyne-Wear derby.
Here, Geordie Boot Boys looks at them.
Newcastle United have never lost four league games in a row at Sunderland
The Tyne-Wear derby has been played for 127 years.
In that time, Newcastle have never lost four consecutive league games on Tyneside.
They are currently on three consecutive defeats but Sunderland’s success against them has never spanned to four home wins in a row.
The omens, then, look somewhat promising heading into Sunday’s game despite Newcastle’s poor record against Sunderland in recent years.
Anthony Gordon is Newcastle United’s best hope of beating Sunderland on Sunday. Prove me wrong.
The main character energy will hit different on Wearside 😍
Sunderland’s xG data points to overperformance
Some may argue against xG, which is used to judge how likely a chance is to be scored.
Though not an exact science, scoring more than your xG generally points to an overperformance.
Well, this season, Sunderland have scored five more goals than their xG record would suggest they should have done (13 to 18, via BBC Sport). At some point, their luck might turn.
How much stock one puts into xG is a personal call. It is, however, worth noting.
Newcastle United’s post-Champions League record in the Premier League this season
This will be the sixth time Newcastle have played a Premier League game after competing in the Champions League earlier in the week.
Generally, Newcastle have balanced both campaigns relatively well. They have, in fact, only dropped five points out of a possible 15 available in that context.
The miserable defeat at Brentford following the win over Athletic Bilbao is the only game they’ve lost. After the Barcelona defeat, they drew away at Bournemouth.
Much will be made about Newcastle having less rest than their rivals but they’ve managed their schedule fairly well this season.
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