Sunderland vs. Newcastle: Head-to-head record and past meetings in Tyne-Wear derby

The cities of Sunderland and Newcastle upon Tyne will grind to a halt at 2pm on Sunday afternoon, when the Black Cats and Newcastle United collide in a highly-anticipated Premier League Tyne-Wear derby.

Not since the 2015-16 season have the two bittermost rivals clashed at the top level of English football, but Regis Le Bris's men remarkably come into the battle leading Eddie Howe's men in the Premier League rankings.

The Black Cats have claimed 23 points to the Magpies' 22 so far in 2025-26, and alongside Arsenal, they are one of two teams yet to lose a Premier League home match in the current term.

Here, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at the head-to-head record and previous meetings between the two sides.

Head-to-head record

Previous meetings: 157

Sunderland wins: 53

Draws: 50

Newcastle United wins: 54

The Tyne-Wear derby does not only grab headlines and attention for the two teams' fierce rivalry and fervent atmospheres, but also because of just how evenly-matched Sunderland and Newcastle United have been over the years.

Since the inaugural meeting between the two clubs on Christmas Eve 1898, there have been 157 Tyne-Wear derbies in all competitions, and only one win separates them - Newcastle on 54 and Sunderland on 53.

The Magpies moved ahead in the head-to-head column in January 2024, when Eddie Howe masterminded a 3-0 FA Cup third-round victory at the Stadium of Light, courtesy of Alexander Isak's double and a Daniel Ballard own goal.

However, that success incredibly represented a first win in 10 Tyne-Wear derbies for Newcastle, who have to go all the way back to August 2011 for their last Premier League win over Sunderland - a 1-0 away triumph thanks to a Ryan Taylor strike.

The Black Cats have subsequently embarked on a nine-game unbeaten run against Newcastle in the Premier League, claiming six wins - all of which came on the bounce from April 2013 to October 2015 - in addition to three draws.

Even more striking, Sunderland have conceded just four goals against Newcastle during that Premier League sequence, and five of their six victories saw them register clean sheets.

The last time the Magpies scored more than once in a Premier League Tyne-Wear derby came all the way back on October 31, 2010, when Sunderland experienced a Halloween horror show in a 5-1 St James' Park slaughter, thanks in no small part to Kevin Nolan's hat-trick.

The Black Cats boast the biggest margin of victory in this fixture, though, obliterating Newcastle 9-1 in 1908, while the Magpies' most emphatic successes were 6-1 wins in 1920 and 1955.

Furthermore, Sunderland legend George Holley sits top of the individual derby scoring charts with 15 to his name against Newcastle, while Jackie Millburn leads the way for the Magpies with 11.