Date: Sunday, October 27 Venue: Stadium of Light Kick-Off: 13:30 Will new Sunderland manager Gus Poyet emerge victorious from his first ever Tyne & Wear derby on Sunday?
Team News
New Sunderland manager Gus Poyet has revealed he could welcome veteran defender Wes Brown back into the side to face Newcastle at the weekend. The 33-year-old is set to partner former Manchester United teammate John O'Shea at the heart of defence. In-form Emanuele Giachherini is expected to retain his place in midfield. Newcastle boss Alan Pardew will be light of defensive options with captain Fabricio Coloccini still injured, while Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa is suspended after picking up a red card against Liverpool last weekend. Loic Remy, Yoann Gouffran and Hatem Ben Arfa are all expected to line up on Sunday. (Eurosport)
Key Stats
Sunderland have won just one of their previous 11 Tyne-Wear home derbies against Newcastle in the Barclays Premier League (D5 L5). That victory was the memorable 3-0 win at St James' Park back in April this year. Newcastle have won four Premier League games away from home in 2013; all by a 2-1 scoreline. Shola Ameobi has scored seven goals in the Premier League against Sunderland four more than he has netted against any other side in the topflight.
Newcastle will be out for revenge against Sunderland on Sunday and how they would relish heaping further misery on their old rivals in the first Tyne & Wear derby of the season. The last time these two sides met, at St James' Park, the Black Cats famously prevailed 3-0 and those scenes of a jubilant Paolo Di Canio skidding on his knees will live long in the memory of Magpies fans. The controversial Italian is gone now, sacked last month and replaced by Gus Poyet, and Alan Pardew's men have the perfact opportunity to exact a measure of vengeance here. Sunderland are rock-bottom of the Premier League and could be cut adrift from their fellow relegation battlers with a defeat here, something which would doubtlessly put a smile on the faces of the Toon Army. However, Newcastle should take heed from the fact that the last time they faced Sunderland after their rivals had just appointed a new manager, they took a licking. Will the "Gus Poyet Effect" have the same impact? Prediction - 1-2
Joseph is an accredited football journalist and has interviewed nearly all of the current 20 Barclay's Premier League managers. He is also a correspondent for Bleacher Report and has written for Caught Offside and Give Me Football.
