Sunderland take on Newcastle United in the Premier League this weekend.
The two bitter rivals are set to meet at St. James’ Park in a lunchtime kick-off on Sunday, with the Black Cats seeking to record a memorable double over Eddie Howe’s men, having already beaten them 1-0 at the Stadium of Light earlier in the season.
For their part, the Magpies head into the contest off the back of a stinging 7-2 defeat at the hands of Barcelona in midweek, and will no doubt be desperate to avoid a loss that would further compound a difficult week on Tyneside.
But while both sides will be eager to get one over on their neighbours, Agbonlahor is of the opinion that they will have to settle for a sharing of the spoils.
What has Gabby Agbonlahor said about Newcastle United vs Sunderland?
Speaking to talkSPORT, the ex-Aston Villa striker said: “Sunday at midday, the Tyne-Wear Derby is back at St James' Park for the first time in ten years as Newcastle face Sunderland. Newcastle, after beating Chelsea away last time out, will be in a confident mood. Also, they owe their fans a win after losing early on in the season to their biggest rivals.
“Sunderland, sitting on 40 points, are comfortable and the pressure is off this season. They will be looking at winning this game for their fans. I predict an entertaining, feisty 2-2 draw.”
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What has Eddie Howe said ahead of Sunderland derby clash?
When asked how his team would bounce back in the wake of their defeat in Spain, Howe told a press conference: “I've got no problems picking myself up. It's more the players. I'm able to move quite quickly through things in the game and the review process to then think of the future very quickly,” he said.
“Now it's all about Sunderland. It's not about what's happened today. It's about learning from today and evolving and changing if we need to. But it's about the next game and making sure we're mentally ready, physically ready for what's going to be a huge game for us and for the whole city. So I think that's quite a good game for us to go straight into because there's no time for any other thought than that one.”
He continued: “It's huge. I think it's difficult for me to talk about it. I think we've just got to play. We've got to play like our lives depend on it. It’s such a big game for the city, for our supporters, for everyone connected with the club. We know that. We knew that before the first game. We know it even more now, so we need to deal with this very quickly and then look to Sunday.”
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