Sunderland claimed a 1-0 victory over Newcastle United in the first Premier League Tyne-Wear derby in nearly a decade, decided by a second-half own goal from Nick Woltemade.
The defeat dropped Newcastle
to 12th in the table—but only six points off the Champions League places—and extended their winless run against Sunderland in league matches to ten.
Newcastle’s best chance came from a Nick Woltemade header that failed to trouble the Sunderland keeper in a poor-quality first half for both sides.
The main incident was an injury to Dan Burn just before halftime, forcing Newcastle to adjust defensively and adding another problem to Eddie Howe in managing a never-fully-fit squad.
Seconds after the restart, Sunderland took the lead. A cross from Nordi Mukiele found Woltemade unmarked in his own box. Attempting to clear, he powered a header past Aaron Ramsdale and into his own net.
Newcastle struggled to generate any threat in response. Anthony Elanga and Anthony Gordon repeatedly lost possession in midfield, and the Magpies managed just two tame shots on target across the match.
Howe’s substitutions did little to change momentum, as the offense remained stagnant and Sunderland’s defense was rarely threatened.
The result also moved Sunderland four points ahead of Newcastle in the table. The Magpies’ cautious tactical setup was nonsensical against such an opponent, and Howe the lads paid for it.
“We feel desperately sorry for our supporters today,” Howe said. “We are really disappointed, we’ve got to bounce back on Wednesday.”
Newcastle next host Fulham in the Carabao Cup quarterfinal on Wednesday, Dec. 17, before returning to Premier League action on Saturday with a matchup against top-four side Chelsea.
