That is not to downplay the magnitude of Sunday’s game from a red-and-white perspective. Sunderland’s first derby trip to Tyneside for a decade is a momentous occasion. It is another marker on the club’s return from the footballing abyss, proof that the Black Cats are back to taking on their fiercest rivals as equals.
It also gives Sunderland an opportunity to extend a record that their supporters have cherished and clung to throughout their club’s plunge down the divisions. The Wearsiders are unbeaten in their last five matches at St James’, a run that has featured three wins and two draws. Their wider derby record is even more impressive. December’s 1-0 win at the Stadium of Light means Sunderland are unbeaten in their last ten derby matches in the league. Last season’s FA Cup tie was an outlier, an asterisk amongst the games that really matter. For more than a decade, the Black Cats have been the North-East’s undisputed derby kings.
Maintaining that record matters, with Sunderland’s current league position also accentuating the importance of a positive result at the weekend. Win on Sunday, and Regis Le Bris’ side will leapfrog Newcastle in the table, potentially moving back into a top-half position. With seven games of the season to go, they would be ideally placed to mount a push for European qualification.
So far, so big for Sunderland. Yet whatever happens on Sunday lunchtime, the derby balance sheet can be no worse than level for the Black Cats. December’s victory is already in the bank. Finishing the seasonal battle with Newcastle at 1-1 would be a disappointment, but hardly a disaster. Bragging rights shared. Just about acceptable on a first season back in the top-flight.
Now, flip things the other way. What about if Sunderland win on Sunday and complete the derby double? Delirium on Wearside. An utter disaster for those in black-and-white.
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For everything Newcastle have achieved this season, and there have been some notable highs amongst an admittedly up-and-down campaign, the memory of December’s defeat on the banks of the Wear stings. Nick Woltemade’s own goal. More derby misery. Three months of crowing from those down the road.
Can Newcastle supporters stomach another humiliation in their own stadium? It would be a hugely tough one to take, especially off the back of Wednesday’s Champions League thrashing at Barcelona, a game that illustrated just how far the Magpies still have to go to become one of Europe’s true elite.
Losing 7-2 in the Nou Camp was embarrassing, but it can be explained away by Barcelona’s brilliance. Losing to Sunderland for the second time this season would be a humbling on a completely different scale, effectively rendering much of what has been achieved this season completely irrelevant.
To the outsider, that probably feels parochial. So what if you lose to Sunderland twice if you beat Athletic Bilbao and Benfica, make it to the last four of the Carabao Cup, see off Manchester United with just ten men? That’s not the way derby rivalries work. Two games a season matter far more than 42 others combined. After a decade of waiting, Newcastle supporters need a home derby win to be able to celebrate.
Eddie Howe needs a positive result too. Much of the criticism that has been directed at Newcastle’s head coach this season has felt unfair. After all, it was only a year ago that was Howe was being lauded for becoming the first Magpies boss to win a major domestic trophy for 70 years. A statue was being proposed then.
Amongst Newcastle’s powerbrokers, Howe has more than enough credit in the bank to be able to ride out an inconsistent season. Step away from the cesspit of social media, and most match-going Newcastle fans continue to appreciate the magnificent job Howe has done since being appointed with the club’s Premier League status on the line.
Lose on Sunday, though, and there’s no denying that Newcastle’s boss will be in for some extremely difficult days. Those who have been questioning him will harden their opinion. Those who have backed him will feel hurt and let down. Howe needs a positive result on Sunday because of what it would do for Newcastle’s European hopes. He needs to show his players can bounce back from Barcelona. Ultimately, though, he just needs to beat Sunderland.
It was Frankie Goes To Hollywood that wrote that when Two Tribes go to war, a point is all that you can score. Sunderland would probably take that on Sunday. Newcastle need all three.