Georginio Wijnaldum has admitted that this weekend's Tyne-Wear derby at the Stadium of Light is an important fixture for Newcastle United and Sunderland.
The Magpies secured their first win of the season last weekend, thrashing Norwich City 6-2 following four goals from the midfielder.
The 24-year-old told BBC Sport: "If you look at the rankings we are both at the bottom of the league and this game is important for both of us. If we win we can look up, if we lose we must look down.
"If we win without me scoring, I'm also happy. Everybody's talking about it, especially the fans I meet on the street or in the supermarket. They all talk about the game, because the last five times they have lost the game and want a win now.
"They are almost begging me to win the game. I can see how important it is to win the game for the fans."
Both sides sit in the relegation zone ahead of Sunday's meeting.
Written by
Sian Cowper
Sian Cowper
