Newcastle v Sunderland
Barclays Premier League
Venue: St James' Park Date: Sunday, 31 October Kick-off: 1330 GMT
Coverage: Watch live on Sky Sports 1 and highlights on Match of the Day 2; listen on BBC Radio 5 live and local radio; text commentary on BBC Sport website and mobiles
Newcastle manager Chris Hughton has said Steven Taylor is not yet ready to make a return from the shoulder injury that has ruled him out since January.
Fellow defender Sol Campbell, who has a thigh problem, also misses out.
Sunderland's Kieran Richardson returns after recovering from the hamstring injury he suffered last month.
Striker Fraizer Campbell and midfielder David Meyler are still absent, but winger Ahmed Elmohamady has recovered from a foot problem.
Newcastle
Injured: Ben Arfa (leg), Best (ankle), Campbell (thigh), Gosling (knee), Harper & Taylor (both shoulder)
Sunderland
Injured: Campbell & Meyler (both knee)
Hostilities resume in the Tyne-Wear derby after a season's absence in which Sunderland enjoyed the rare luxury of being able to look down a division on their bitter rivals Newcastle.
 |
I am a Geordie, it's where I was born and I'm never going to try and hide that either but I think what a lot of people won't understand is that I've been away since 1976
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce
|
Although they managed to take four points off Newcastle in the Geordies' relegation season in 2008/09, Sunderland's record against their fiercest rivals, appropriately for a match on Halloween, makes for gruesome reading. They have managed just three wins in 16 Premier League encounters, and the last time they won at St James' Park came courtesy of a towering header from Niall Quinn way back in 2000.
Quinn now looks on from the director's box in his role as Sunderland chairman and he must be thrilled with his view as manager Steve Bruce has seen his side lose just once in nine league games. They have also buried the ghost of not being able to win without the intervention of Darren Bent; their victory over Aston Villa last week was the first time they had triumphed without a goal from their England striker in 14 months.
Bruce grew up a Geordie watching the Magpies from the Leazes End at St James' Park. Remarkably, this will be his first taste of a Tyne-Wear derby but he says there is no doubt where his heart lies these days.
Newcastle's reintroduction to Premier League football has been impressive. They joined Sunderland in the top half of the table following their Andy Carroll-inspired victory at West Ham, and a win on Sunday would not only restore local bragging rights but offer the added incentive of leapfrogging the Black Cats in the table.
Head-to-head
• Sunderland have won just three of the 16 matches they have played against Newcastle in the Premier League, although they picked up four points in the 2008/09 season.
• The Black Cats' victory in October 2008 was their first over Newcastle since a Niall Quinn header in 2000 gave them back-to-back victories at St James' Park.
• This is the 144th meeting between the sides. Newcastle have won 51, Sunderland 46 and there have been 46 draws.
|
606: DEBATE
|
Newcastle
• Newcastle are one short of 250 Premier League victories. They would become only the seventh club to reach this milestone should they win on Sunday.
• Newcastle have an excellent record in the north east derbies they have played against Sunderland and Middlesbrough, losing only six of 42 matches.
• Newcastle have allowed only 24 shots on target against them all season, which is less than any other side in the division.
• Striker Shola Ameobi has scored four goals in his last three matches against Sunderland.
Sunderland
• Sunderland's seven match unbeaten run in the league is their best in the top flight since the 1999/00 season.
• The Black Cats have a terrible record when they have played Premier League games on a Sunday, winning just nine of 55 matches.
• Sunderland's win over Aston Villa was their first victory without the help of a goal from Darren Bent in 14 months.
• They have gone 296 minutes without conceding a league goal.
|
Newcastle
Carroll: 5 goals (5 league); Ameobi: 4 goals (1 league)
|
Sunderland
Bent: 7 goals (5 league)
Referee: Phil Dowd
Assistant referees: Dean Mohareb & Scott Ledger
Fourth official: Mike Dean
Newcastle (W2-1 v West Ham, a): Krul, Simpson, Williamson, Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Barton, Nolan, Tiote, Gutierrez, Carroll, Ameobi. Subs not used: Soderberg, Guthrie, Routledge, Lovenkrands, Perch, Ryan Taylor, Smith.
Sunderland (W1-0 v Aston Villa, h): Mignolet, Onuoha, Turner, Bramble, Bardsley, Elmohamady (Zenden 90), Henderson, Cattermole, Malbranque (Mensah 81), Welbeck (Gyan 65), Bent. Subs not used: Gordon, Da Silva, Riveros, Ferdinand.
Potenshöjande medel - köp cialis receptfritt
No comments:
Post a Comment