Sunderland, Newcastle United meet in mid-table clash.
Sunderland vs Newcastle United kicks off at 14:00 [GMT] on Sunday, December 14, at the Stadium of Light.
A long-awaited Tyne–Wear derby returns this weekend as 9th-placed Sunderland hosts 11th-placed Newcastle in a fixture loaded with history, tension and narrative. Nearly a decade has passed since these rivals last met in the league—a 1-1 draw at St James’ Park in March 2016—but the rivalry has lost none of its edge. Sunderland enter the clash carrying the psychological advantage, unbeaten in their last nine league meetings with Newcastle (six wins and three draws), the longest such run the Black Cats have ever enjoyed in this derby. Yet the most recent encounter across all competitions offers a reminder that momentum can reverse quickly: Newcastle ran out comfortable 3-0 winners at the Stadium of Light in the 2024 FA Cup, a result that still stings on Wearside. This time, though, Sunderland return with renewed resilience, especially at home. Alongside Arsenal, they remain one of only two Premier League sides yet to lose a home match this season (four wins, three draws). Remarkably, they have already surpassed the number of home points they managed across their entire previous top-flight campaign in 2016-17. Where they have struggled, however, is chance creation. Only Burnley have posted a lower expected-goals total than Sunderland’s 13. Despite this, the newly promoted side will be looking to put an end to a run of two winless games [DLWDL]. Brian Brobbey is expected at the attacking end of Sunderland’s 5—4—1 formation.
Newcastle arrive following a 2-2 draw with Bayer Leverkusen in the UEFA Champions League. Meanwhile, their recent run of three wins and a draw from four games in the Premier League marks a significant upturn after a difficult stretch. Still, the Magpies have been consistently chaotic: they’ve both scored and conceded in each of their last eight Premier League matches, a sequence unmatched since the early 1960s. That volatility has come at a cost; no team has dropped more points from winning positions this season than Newcastle. Protecting leads has become an Achilles heel. Historically, their trips to the Stadium of Light have also brought trouble. Newcastle have lost their last three away league games at Sunderland—more than in the previous 21 combined—and have never lost four in a row there. Ending that trend would carry enormous symbolic weight, but they will need discipline and composure in a fixture that rarely allows either. A 4—3—3 formation with Nick Woltemade, Harvey Barnes and Gordon in attack is expected.