Two football-mad cities, a rivalry centuries old and why Sunderland go into Sunday's Tyne-Wear derby against Newcastle as favourites

Sunderland have finished above Newcastle United in only five of the last 35 seasons as they prepare to face off in Sunday’s Tyne-Wear derby.

But the Black Cats are enjoying an outstanding season following their Premier League return and lie a point above the Magpies ahead of this weekend’s Stadium of Light clash.

Here,  DAZN News reporter Ross Heppenstall  examines the rivalry between two football-mad cities dating back over three centuries.

A deep-rooted hatred

The north-east is a famous footballing hotbed with Sunderland and Newcastle just 12 miles apart.

They boast two of the biggest and most passionate fanbases in English football while the inter-city rivalry between Sunderland and Newcastle dates back to the English Civil War.

Protestations over advantages that merchants in Royalist Newcastle had over their Wearside counterparts led to Sunderland becoming a Parliamentarian stronghold.

Newcastle and Sunderland both became mighty industrial centres in the nineteenth century with shipbuilding, mining and engineering creating strong working-class communities.

By the end of the 19th century the political rivalry between the two cities was channelled along football lines.

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A success-starved region

For all that Newcastle and Sunderland are famous for – massive support and a mutual loathing of each other – they have rarely punched their weight in terms of silverware.

Sunderland have won six top-flight league titles, two FA Cups and a Football League Trophy but in more recent times they have fluctuated between the first, second and third tiers.

Newcastle have won four League titles, six FA Cups, a League Cup and the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.

But last season’s Carabao Cup final win over Liverpool marked their first domestic trophy in 70 years.

Premier League derby history

The sworn enemies have faced each other in derbies over 14 Premier League seasons since the competition was formed in 1992.

Newcastle have been relegated from the Premier League twice and Sunderland four times, so they have often bypassed each other.

Two seasons ago, Eddie Howe’s Magpies won 3-0 at Sunderland in the FA Cup third round.

Now they will meet again in the league for the first time since March 2016, when the sides drew 1-1 at St James’ Park.

That extended Sunderland’s unbeaten league run to nine league derbies, with the Black Cats having won six of those.

You have to go back to August 2011 for the Magpies’ last Premier League victory in a Tyne-Wear derby, when Ryan Taylor scored the only goal at the Stadium of Light.

Overall, in league fixtures between the two sides – dating back to their first-ever clash on Christmas Eve, 1898 – Newcastle have 51 wins and Sunderland 47. There have been 44 draws.

In the Premier League era, they have nine victories apiece and there have been 10 draws during the 28 derbies played between September 1996 and March 2016.

Classic encounters aplenty

In August 1999, Ruud Gullit infamously started the home derby against Sunderland with Duncan Ferguson and hometown legend Alan Shearer on the bench.

It backfired horribly as the Wearsiders won 2-1 at St James' Park.

Gullit resigned the following day, saying he could no longer carry on under such intense scrutiny, which was affecting his family.

Sunderland’s win came courtesy of second-half goals from Kevin Phillips and Niall Quinn.

The Magpies have enjoyed some derby wins too, of course.

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In April 2006, they won 4-1 at the Stadium of Light with Shearer scoring the last of his record-breaking 206 goals for Newcastle.

Fast forward to October 2010 and Newcastle this time claimed the biggest derby win of the Premier League era after beating their rivals 5-1 on Tyneside with Kevin Nolan notching a hat-trick.

Images of Paulo Di Canio sliding on his knees to celebrate a 3-0 Sunderland win at St James' Park in April 2013 remain iconic.

In only the Italian’s second game in charge, his team won with goals from Stephane Sessegnon, Adam Johnson and David Vaughan.

The result marked Sunderland's first victory at St James’ Park in 13 years – since the night which proved the end of Gullit.

Who are the favourites this weekend?

Sunderland, newly promoted under Regis Le Bris after an eight-year absence from the Premier League, have not lost at home this season.

Only leaders Arsenal can boast an unbeaten home record this term and there is no doubt that the Stadium of Light has become a fortress for the Black Cats.

Desire is visible and audible there on a matchday and the atmosphere will be off the scale come kick-off on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Newcastle’s away form so far in 2025-26 has been decidedly patchy.

They have only won once on their travels in the Premier League, a recent 4-1 success at Everton, so Sunderland arguably go into the game as favourites.

The Magpies have also conceded late goals and thrown away winning positions – as was the case in their 2-2 Champions League draw at Bayer Leverkusen in midweek – which their hated rivals will take heart from.

Mackems and Geordies should strap themselves in and hold on tight.

It should be some scrap and will not be for the faint-hearted.

 

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