After a decade, Sunderland hosted Newcastle again at the Stadium of Light in the premier league for the infamous Tyne-Wear derby. Sunderland won one-zero after visiting striker Nick Woltemade scored an own goal header. On the stadium's electronic scoreboard, the home team refused to display Newcastle's logo and name, instead showing only "Visitors".

In all their home matches this season, Sunderland had displayed the full logo and name of visiting teams on the scoreboard. Therefore, the display method for the Newcastle match was not a technical glitch but a planned action, affirming the message of animosity between the two clubs.

The electronic scoreboard showing the match score between Sunderland and Newcastle at the Stadium of Light on 14/12. *Screenshot*

Former defender Gary Neville was aware of this information. "Today, the home team will not display Newcastle's name on the stadium's electronic scoreboard, an action I really like", Neville said enthusiastically on Sky Sports while commenting before the match. "The rivalry will be elevated to a new level, and the atmosphere here is extremely hostile".

On the social media platform X, many fans expressed amusement at Sunderland's move, asserting it was "the essence of a true derby". However, others were less impressed, describing the home team's action as "petty".

The British newspaper Guardian reported that before the match, visiting team Newcastle hung a sign outside their changing room with the message "Go get 'em", as a way to boost team morale. During the game, Sunderland fans continuously chanted in unison, "Who hates Mags, stand up". Mags is short for "Magpies", Newcastle's nickname.

The rivalry of the Sunderland - Newcastle match was clearly reflected on the field. In total, 9 yellow cards were issued by the referee. The technical quality was not high, with teams creating only 11 shots throughout the entire match and just one clear-cut chance. The expected goals (xG) values were 0,29 for Sunderland and 0,25 for Newcastle, respectively.

According to Opta statistics, no other premier league match this season had as few shots (4) and as few touches inside the box (8) in the first half as the game between Sunderland and Newcastle.

Nick Woltemade (second from right) scored an own goal header, leading to Newcastle's one-zero loss to Sunderland on 14/12. *Reuters*

The Tyne-Wear derby between Sunderland and Newcastle is always intense, transcending ordinary sporting boundaries, not only because the two cities are only about 19 km apart (Sunderland on the River Wear and Newcastle on the River Tyne), but also due to a deep historical animosity dating back over 400 years. Its origin is believed to stem from competition between the two cities over coal trade and shipbuilding in the Northeast of England.

Additionally, during the 17th-century English Civil War, Newcastle primarily supported the Royalist faction, while Sunderland and most of the Northeast sided with Parliament, further deepening the division.

Sunderland and Newcastle last met in early 2024 in the FA Cup. In the premier league specifically, the 2015-2016 season was the most recent encounter between the two teams before this season's round 16. That season, Newcastle were relegated in 18th place, while Sunderland narrowly avoided relegation by finishing just above them. However, the "Magpies" took only one season to return to England's top flight and have remained there since. Conversely, the "Black Cats" were relegated in the 2016-2017 season and took 8 years to gain promotion.

Despite being a newly promoted team, Sunderland is currently having an unexpected start, temporarily ranking 7th after their victory against Newcastle, extending their lead to 4 points over their bitter rivals.

Hoang Thong