If you’ve ever stood on the banks of the Wear or the Tyne on match day, you know it’s not just about football. It’s tribal. Honestly, the Sunderland AFC v Newcastle United rivalry is less of a sports fixture and more of a regional civil war that happens to involve a ball.
We just saw the first Premier League meeting between these two in nearly a decade on December 14, 2025. It was tense. It was ugly at times. And for Sunderland fans, it was absolute bliss. A 1-0 win at the Stadium of Light, courtesy of a bizarre Nick Woltemade own goal, sent the red and white half of the North East into a frenzy.
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Before that December clash, Newcastle fans were feeling pretty good. They’d smashed Sunderland 3-0 in the FA Cup back in January 2024, snapping a winless streak against the Black Cats that stretched back to 2011. But the league is different.
Regis Le Bris has turned Sunderland into a genuine problem for the "Big Six" and their wealthy neighbors. After that 1-0 victory, Sunderland actually climbed to seventh in the table. Newcastle? They’ve been hovering around 12th. It’s a weird reality where the club with the Saudi-backed billions is looking up at a newly promoted side that plays with more grit than a North Sea shipyard.
Breaking Down the Recent Numbers
The December 2025 derby wasn't a tactical masterpiece. Far from it.
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- Total Shots: Sunderland 5, Newcastle 6.
- xG (Expected Goals): 0.30 for Sunderland vs 0.24 for Newcastle.
- The Decider: A 46th-minute own goal where the ball hit Woltemade and went in via the underside of the bar.
It was the lowest xG total of any Premier League game this season. Basically, it was a scrap. But that’s the Tyne-Wear derby for you. You don’t win it with step-overs; you win it by not blinking first.
Why the Sunderland AFC v Newcastle United Rivalry is So Bitter
Most people think this started on a football pitch. It didn't.
This goes back to the English Civil War in the 17th century. Newcastle was Royalist, supporting the King. Sunderland was Parliamentarian. Then came the Jacobite risings, where they picked opposite sides again. By the time the first competitive match happened in 1888—an FA Cup tie Sunderland won 2-0—the hatred was already 200 years old.
They are only 14 miles apart. You can drive from the Stadium of Light to St. James' Park in about twenty minutes if the traffic behaves. That proximity breeds a special kind of contempt. You work with them, you're married to them, and for 90 minutes twice a year, you cannot stand them.
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The all-time head-to-head record is almost hauntingly even. As of early 2026, both clubs sit on exactly 54 wins each in all competitions, with 50 draws.
"I would like to lose my trousers every weekend," - Paolo Di Canio after his famous knee-slide at St. James' Park in 2013.
The 9-1 Anomaly
In December 1908, Sunderland traveled to Newcastle and won 9-1. It remains Newcastle’s worst home defeat ever. The crazy part? Newcastle actually went on to win the league title that year. Imagine losing 9-1 to your biggest rivals and still being the best team in England. Football was a different world back then.
The "Six in a Row"
Between 2013 and 2015, Sunderland managed something unthinkable: they won six derbies in a row. It didn't matter if they were bottom of the league or Newcastle had better players. Guys like Fabio Borini and Jermain Defoe became gods on Wearside because they simply knew how to score in this game.
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What to Expect for the March 21 Return Leg
The next chapter of Sunderland AFC v Newcastle United is scheduled for March 21, 2026, at St. James' Park. Newcastle will be desperate. They haven't beaten Sunderland in the league at home since 2011. That is a massive weight on a squad that is supposed to be competing for Champions League spots.
Eddie Howe is under pressure. The Newcastle faithful aren't just looking for points; they're looking for a response to the "Black and White Bar" fiasco from a couple of years ago when Sunderland's owners accidentally decorated an away bar in Newcastle colors. That mistake still stings both fanbases for different reasons.
Key Players to Watch in 2026
- Dan Ballard (Sunderland): The guy is a brick wall. He outjumped everyone in the December derby and is the heart of that defense.
- Nick Woltemade (Newcastle): He’ll want to bury the memory of that own goal. He’s got the height to be a problem, but he needs better service.
- Wilson Isidor (Sunderland): He’s quick, direct, and loves the big occasion.
- Bruno Guimarães (Newcastle): If Newcastle are going to win the midfield battle in March, it starts and ends with him. He got booked in the last one for "unsavoury scenes," so expect more fire this time.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Neutrals
If you're planning on watching or attending the next Sunderland AFC v Newcastle United match, keep these things in mind:
- Don't trust the form book. Sunderland won in December despite having only one shot on target. In a derby, "form" is a myth.
- The first 15 minutes are chaos. Statistically, these games start slow in terms of quality but high in terms of fouls.
- Travel matters. If you're heading to St. James' Park in March, be aware of the "bubble" trips. Usually, away fans are bused in under heavy police escort to prevent the kind of "horse-punching" incidents that made global news in 2013.
- Check the lineups for late changes. Dan Burn limped off in the last meeting, and his absence at the back was exactly where the game changed. Height is a massive factor in this fixture.
Keep an eye on the injury reports as we head into March. With both teams fighting for mid-table stability and European spots, the stakes for this second leg are the highest they've been in a decade.