You might think Newcastle United’s week couldn’t get any worse… until it surely did on Sunday.
The Magpies completed one of the worst weeks in club history with a 2–1 defeat to Sunderland in the Tyne-Wear derby at St James’ Park, allowing their rivals to complete a derby double and bringing Eddie Howe closer than ever to his eventual exit.
This loss followed a 7–2 trouncing at the hands of FC Barcelona in the Champions League—completing an aggregate 8-3 round-of-16 loss—and leaves Newcastle out of the realm
of European places, slipping further in the Premier League, and failing to capitalize on the many teams above them who dropped points on the weekend.
Newcastle started strongly and took the lead in the ninth minute, but that was just because of an awful error by Sunderland trying to get the ball out of their area. Nick Woltemade intercepted a misplaced clearance and set up Anthony Gordon, who finished low past Melker Ellborg after a fairly impressive move.
The Magpies controlled much of the ball during the first half and nearly doubled their lead when Sven Botman hit the post with a header shortly before the break, but that was it.
The game, a poor encounter overall, shifted after halftime. Botman was forced off with an injury, and shortly after, Sunderland scored the 1-1 goal through Chemsdine Talbi, who put the ball in after a few bounces fell his way and from close range following a corner.
Newcastle thought they had regained the lead in the 73rd minute when Malick Thiaw headed in. The goal, however, was rightly disallowed for offside interference involving Jacob Murphy, who pushed Sunderland’s keeper deep into his net, preventing him from attempting a save.
The Black Cats continued to press and found a late winner in the 90th minute, with NUFC dropping points from a winning position once again, as it’s been the case all year long. Brian Brobbey saw his initial shot saved by Aaron Ramsdale but was skillful enough to convert the rebound and put the Geordies to the sword.
The defeat marked Newcastle’s 11th consecutive league game without a win against Sunderland and their second derby loss this season. They have also dropped 22 points from winning positions, the highest total in the league.
Newcastle enter the international break 12th in the EPL. Sunderland are one point above them. The Geordies face a four-point distance to seventh-place Brentford and are separated by six points from Chelsea in sixth. Liverpool is fifth with a seven-point lead over NUFC, and Aston Villa (the type of club we all thought Newcastle would turn into when PIF arrived) is fourth with a massive 54-point haul and 12 more points than the Magpies have through 31 games.
Howe, it might be time to step up to the podium and to step down as Newcastle’s gaffer, isn’t it?
Newcastle return to league action—the only competition they are playing in these days—against Crystal Palace on April 11. Will Howe be sitting on the Magpies bench? Only time will tell.
