Overview
Sunderland are currently above Newcastle, but Eddie Howe's side will overcome their arch-rivals in the table if they win this derby. However, this is not simply a race for position, but also the pride of the Northeast region of England.
The challenge for the away team is extremely big, because no stadium is more difficult to win than Stadium of Light at the moment. Along with Arsenal, Sunderland are one of two teams remaining unbeaten at home in the Premier League this season.
Four wins and three draws have helped the Black Cats earn 15 points at home - more than they have in their most recent Premier League season (14 in 2016-2017). Sunderland's resilience at the Stadium of Light has been clearly demonstrated.
In the most recent home match, Bournemouth seemed to have held on to three points when leading 2-0, but Sunderland made a spectacular comeback to win 3-2. Previously, leaders Arsenal could only leave the field with one point after conceding a late equalizer.
No team has won more points from behind in the Premier League this season than Sunderland (12 points). In contrast, Newcastle were the team that dropped the most points when they took the lead (11 points). The Magpies' away form is also a big concern.
Although the 4-1 victory over Everton in the most recent round ended a 9-match winless streak away from home (4 draws, 5 losses), it was just a rare sign of improvement. In midweek, Newcastle also missed out on a Champions League win when Alejandro Grimaldo's 88th-minute goal helped Bayer Leverkusen regain a point.
The main reason lies in the unstable defense. The absence of key players such as Nick Pope, Kieran Trippier and Sven Botman has significantly affected his ability to keep a clean sheet, although Botman could return in this match. Joelinton is also in doubt about his fitness after being withdrawn early to avoid the risk of injury.
Lower-level problems have caused Newcastle to both score and concede in each of their last eight Premier League games. The last time they went through such a long run of games was from December 1960 to March61 (13 games).
The visitors' hopes of scoring can be placed on Anthony Gordon. After a run of 22 goalless games in the Premier League, the winger has scored in his last two games. However, he has never scored in three consecutive matches in the tournament.
As for the home team, Sunderland has almost all the force. reinildo Mandava is the most notable absentee, but he is not a regular starter. Meanwhile, Aji Alese and Habib Diarra (injured), along with Luke O' Ni Nien (suspended), are not playing too much of an important role this season.
Head-to-head record
Newcastle won their most recent derby meeting, a 3-0 win at Stadium of Light in the third round of the FA Cup last season. However, if we only consider the confrontations when both teams are still in the Premier League, the historical balance is in Sunderland's favor.
The "Black Meo" are unbeaten in their last nine encounters with Newcastle in the English top flight (six wins, three draws). The upcoming Tyne-Wear derby will also be the first time the two sides have met in the Premier League since a 1-1 draw at St James' Park in March 2016.
Newcastle have lost all three of Sunderland's most recent visits to the Premier League - more than the total number of defeats in the previous 21 visits combined. However, they have never lost four consecutive games at the Stadium of Light in the Premier League.
Score prediction: Sunderland 2-2 Newcastle
The match between Sunderland and Newcastle takes place at 9:00 p.m. on December 14 (Vietnam time).
