Preview: Sunderland vs Newcastle United - prediction, team news, lineups

For the first time in nearly a decade, Tyne-Wear derby day is upon us in the Premier League, as Sunderland and Newcastle United renew hostilities at the Stadium of Light on Sunday.

March 2016 was the last time the two Northern nemeses locked horns in the top flight of English football, although Eddie Howe did mastermind a 3-0 FA Cup win for the Magpies on their rivals' turf in 2024.

Match preview

Experiencing his first taste of a Tyne-Wear derby atmosphere this weekend, Regis Le Bris certainly does not need telling twice about the magnitude of Sunday's occasion for supporters and the entire city, who have certainly taken to him since his arrival.

With the former Lorient boss at the helm, the newly-promoted Black Cats are threatening to upset the European apple cart in the Premier League, although recent results have been somewhat of a reality check for last season's Championship playoff winners.

Only one of the hosts' last six Premier League games has ended in victory - although they did steal points off of Arsenal and Liverpool during that sequence - and Le Bris's team were swept aside 3-0 by Manchester City last weekend.

Nevertheless, the Mackems' ninth-placed ranking in the Premier League table exceeds all pre-season expectations placed before them, and home has been where the heart is for Sunderland all season long.

Indeed, Le Bris's side have gone unbeaten in each of their first seven top-flight games at the Stadium of Light this season - only leaders Arsenal are also yet to lose a home match in the 2025-26 Premier League - and their 15 points on familiar turf is more than they managed in the entirety of the 2016-17 term.

The above statistics are not the only ones in Sunderland's favour this weekend, as it has been a remarkable 10 games since the Black Cats lost to Newcastle in a league game - a 1-0 defeat at the Stadium of Light in August 2011.

The Magpies have since lost three on the spin at Sunderland's ground in league football, meaning that Eddie Howe could make the worst kind of derby history on Sunday; Newcastle have never lost four successive league games away to the Black Cats.

The visitors prepare for another taxing away day on the back of an energy-zapping trip to Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League, where the 2023-24 Bundesliga champions rescued a 2-2 draw, albeit one that extended Newcastle's unbeaten run to four games in all tournaments.

Howe's men are also enjoying their best moment of the season domestically, taking 10 points from their last four Premier League matches to rise up to 12th in the standings, just one point adrift of their Tyne-Wear rivals.

Newcastle's most recent Premier League away day also brought their first top-flight away win of the season - a 4-1 success at Everton - but both that result, and last year's FA Cup success at the Stadium of Light, will likely mean little when the first whistle blows.

Sunderland Premier League form:

Newcastle United Premier League form:

Newcastle United form (all competitions):

Team News

Sunderland defender Luke O'Nien will watch the derby from the naughty step, as the 31-year-old begins a three-game ban for his late red card at the Etihad, although he would have likely only made the bench this weekend anyway.

In brighter news, left-back Reinildo Mandava has resumed training after a groin injury and is expected to be given the green light to play, while Dennis Cirkin (wrist) and Leo Hjelde (Achilles) are also close to first-team comebacks.

Habib Diarra (groin) and Aji Alese (shoulder) are still in the treatment room, but the hosts are otherwise in good nick for derby day, where Le Bris is facing a familiar quandary over Brian Brobbey or Wilson Isidor up front.

As for Newcastle, Howe risks being without fundamental midfielder Joelinton for the Tyne-Wear derby, as the Brazilian picked up a groin problem of unspecified severity during the four-goal draw with Leverkusen.

Local lad Lewis Miley struck the Magpies' second off the bench at the BayArena, so the 19-year-old should certainly be considered for a momentous start on Sunday, when Emil Krafth (knee), Sven Botman (back), Nick Pope (groin), Kieran Trippier (thigh) and Will Osula (ankle) will be missing once more.

After previously not being able to buy a goal in the Premier League, Anthony Gordon aims to score in three straight top-flight games for the first time ever, although both of his Premier League strikes this season have come from the penalty spot.

Sunderland possible starting lineup:

Roefs; Mukiele, Alderete, Ballard, Geertruida, Reinildo; Talbi, Xhaka, Sadiki, Le Fee; Brobbey

Newcastle United possible starting lineup:

Ramsdale; Livramento, Thiaw, Schar, Burn; Tonali, Guimaraes, Miley; Murphy, Woltemade, Gordon

We say: Sunderland 2-2 Newcastle United

Seldom involved in boring Premier League affairs, Newcastle have both scored and conceded in each of their last eight Premier League games - a trend that will surely continue in what promises to be a feisty, frenetic battle.

Furthermore, no team has won more points from losing positions than Sunderland, and no team has lost more from winning positions than the Magpies.

Coupled with the raucous Stadium of Light atmosphere, this derby will surely live up to the billing, and a high-scoring stalemate appears a realistic outcome.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.