1. Determination and Organisation Are Often Key
When Newcastle went down to ten men so early in the game, Newcastle fans could have been forgiven for expecting the worst, especially with 65 minutes ahead of their ten man team, and a no-doubt determined Sunderland team to face. But, the floodgates never opened, and Newcastle eventually only lost their lead thanks to an unfortunate calamitous own goal from Demba Ba, as opposed to extended Sunderland pressure. Some of that had to do with the ineffectual performance from the Black Cats, but it was also - more importantly - a result of Newcastle's defensive organisation, and the gritty determination with which the team set about protecting their lead. They might not have attacked as much as they generally would, but Newcastle were disciplined and kept their shape, aided by the introduction of James Perch in place of a clearly deflated Shola Ameobi, and they made Sunderland's job a lot more difficult. There is an old cliche that says it's harder to beat ten men than it is to beat eleven, and it is completely true when the ten men play as well as a defensive unit as Newcastle did yesterday.