Sunderland secured a narrow 1-0 win over Newcastle United in the Tyne-Wear derby, thanks to an unusual own-goal by Nick Woltemade. The Newcastle forward inadvertently headed the ball past his own goalkeeper,
Aaron Ramsdale, early in the second half. This victory at the Stadium of Light gave Sunderland local bragging rights on Sunday.
Both teams struggled to showcase attacking prowess during much of this Premier League encounter, which marked the first North-East derby in nearly a decade. Just before half-time, Dan Ballard missed a chance by heading over the bar shortly after Newcastle's Dan Burn left the field due to injury.
The decisive moment came just 59 seconds into the second half when Woltemade accidentally redirected Nordi Mukiele's cross into his own net via the crossbar. Wilson Isidor forced Ramsdale into action with a shot from a tight angle, but Newcastle found it difficult to mount any significant threat on goal.
Substitute Yoane Wissa came close to connecting with Jacob Murphy's cross, but that was as near as Newcastle got to equalising. The final whistle was met with jubilation from Sunderland fans as their team held on for victory.
THIS IS WEARSIDE. WE ARE SUNDERLAND.#SUNNEW pic.twitter.com/ORBsA3bUxC
- Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) December 14, 2025
This result extended Sunderland's unbeaten run against Newcastle in league matches to ten games (seven wins and three draws). This is only the second time such a streak has occurred in this fixture's history, following Newcastle's similar run between 1985 and 1997.
The match featured only the second own-goal in Premier League meetings between these teams. The first occurred when Demba Ba scored an own-goal during a 1-1 draw in October 2012. Additionally, none of Sunderland’s starting eleven were English players, marking a first for either side in this derby.
Current Form and Standings
Newcastle have now gone nine Premier League games without keeping a clean sheet, matching their longest such streak under manager Eddie Howe. Meanwhile, Sunderland reached 26 points after 16 matches this season, equalling their best start at this stage of a top-flight campaign since achieving the same tally in the 2000-01 season.
The match concluded with Sunderland celebrating their victory and maintaining their impressive form against their local rivals. The Black Cats' performance continues to build on their strong start to the season.
