As the second international break of the season disappears into the sunset, we’re left with the prospect of a more daunting set of fixtures.
The Premier League’s basement side, Wolverhampton Wanderers,
are our next opponents, followed by a triple dose of what could be said to be ‘elite’ clubs. If you turn your nose up at Everton — who we face at home on 13 November — look at the turnaround our former manager, David Moyes, has achieved since he returned to the blue half of Merseyside in January.
Then we’re well and truly into the games against the proper Premier League teams.
After Fulham and Bournemouth —who aren’t to be underestimated — December starts with a midweek televised trip to Anfield, home of the twenty-time top-tier champions — that’s fourteen more than us!
Liverpool and Manchester United hold the joint record for top-flight championship wins, but look a little further down the list and Sunderland lie seventh with six top-flight championship wins to our name, above the likes of the Mags, Tottenham, Leeds and Nottingham Forest.
Our following fixtures see us play the first of two games against Manchester City in the month, and then the much-anticipated first league Wear-Tyne derby in ten years, which was moved for TV coverage to Sunday 14 December.
Our game against Manchester United was a bit of an anti-climax. I felt the defence switched off in the first half hour but Régis Le Bris changed things around ten minutes from half time and a drubbing was avoided.

We weren’t disgraced and we can’t expect to come out of each game with something to show for it, although it shows how well the team has started the season that a defeat at Old Trafford was met with frustration and disappointment.
Now that the derby has been selected for television coverage and its date has been cemented, fans can whet their lips in anticipation. The Mags have an impressive defensive record, having not yet conceded away, and they play at Brighton, West Ham, Brentford and Everton before they come to Monkwearmouth, so I reckon they won’t maintain this record at the teams who play in blue.
By the time this fixture is upon us, we’ll have a much better idea as to how we’ll fare in this league.
In the FA Cup third round game in January 2024, it was boys versus men and Eddie Howe’s tactics were spot on against Michael Beale’s efforts, but I’m much more confident that Régis can make much more of a fist of it.
What a result it’ll be if we remain unbeaten in this fixture — which will see us unbeaten in the league against Newcastle since August 2010.