Brian Brobbey’s 90th-minute winner stunned Newcastle and sealed Sunderland’s first victory in the Tyne Wear derby at St James’s Park in more than a decade.
A botched goal-kicking routine saw Luke O’Nien give possession to the Magpies on the edge of their own area, allowing Anthony Gordon to score from close range to the delight of Gallowgate within the first 10 minutes.
However, in a game also plagued by crowd trouble, the Black Cats finished the league game twice ahead of their rivals, with Kemsudine Talbi and Blobby coming from behind to win.
The atmosphere before kick-off was hostile, with Sunderland fans escorted into the stadium by police to avoid crowd trouble.
The match was also stopped midway through the second half after reports of derogatory language directed at Letocharel Gertruida from the stands. The Premier League confirmed that an investigation will be carried out into the incident.
When the match started, it was the hosts who took the lead. Anthony Heranga, who had just scored a double in the game against Barcelona, headed the ball in an early exchange and approached goal, and Gordon took control.
In a seemingly planned goal-kicking routine, Melker Elborg made a short pass to O’Nien. However, the longest-serving player in the Sunderland team hurried his clearance and went straight on to Walte Maid. The German’s first touch was taken by Gordon, who found some space and fired a shot into the bottom corner.
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Anthony Gordon exploits ‘terrible’ Sunderland defensive mistake in Newcastle’s opener
Newcastle took the lead from this point, but Sven Botman’s header hit the post and they almost doubled their advantage but were unable to convert.
Eddie Howe’s side will be disappointed not to have been able to find a two-goal cushion when Talbi suddenly found the equaliser.
Howe described Newcastle’s set-piece defending as “unacceptable” against Barcelona, as they failed to clear their lines and Talbi fired home from close range just before the hour mark.
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Kemsudine Talbi equalizes against Sunderland
Newcastle appeared to have regained the lead with 15 minutes left when Malik Tiaw headed home from his own corner, but play was brought back after Jacob Murphy was adjudged to have shocked Elborg in an offside position.
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During the Premier League match between Newcastle and Sunderland, Murphy was ruled offside and Thiau’s header was disallowed.
As the game wore on, the intensity of Newcastle’s schedule seemed to catch up with their fatigue. Indeed, it was the visitors who had the last laugh when Blobby pulled off a clinical fightback to give Sunderland three points.
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Brian Brobbey’s stoppage-time goal gives Sunderland the lead.
The result not only means Sunderland have overtaken Newcastle in the Premier League table, but also means they now have an unbeaten Premier League Tyne Wear derby record of 11.
Newcastle and Sunderland issue statement over racist abuse allegations
After the match, Newcastle released a statement condemning the allegations of racist abuse against Sunderland full-back Guia Truida.
A club spokesperson said: “We are aware of reports that a visiting player was racially abusive towards someone in the crowd during the Premier League game against Sunderland.
“Our position is clear: we do not tolerate discrimination in any form.
“We will work with authorities to thoroughly investigate and identify these individuals and hold them accountable.”
Eddie Howe also commented on the incident to Sky Sports after the match, saying: “Certainly we do not condone any form of racism and that is for the club to investigate.”
Sunderland released their own statement, saying: “Sunderland AFC is aware of reports of racist abuse directed at Lutcharel Guiatruida during today’s match at St James’s Park.”
“We stand with Le Tocharel, who has our full support, and commend him for showing courage and leadership by reporting this incident to match officials.
“Racism is completely unacceptable. It is abhorrent and has no place in our game or society.
“We acknowledge Newcastle United’s statement and hope those responsible will be identified and held to account.
“There should be no tolerance, no excuses, and no ambiguity when it comes to these types of cases.
“Football must be a safe and inclusive environment for everyone, without exception, and we will continue to work with relevant authorities to support that aim.”
Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris said after the match that he had spoken to Guia Truida.
“We spoke briefly before the press conference and he seems to be in good spirits. This is unacceptable and it is important that we report it and manage the situation appropriately,” he said.
“He seems okay, but we need to support him.”
Howe: “Newcastle aren’t at their best, but losing is tough”
Eddie Howe believes defeat is a tough result for Newcastle after losing 2-1 in the Tyne Wear derby
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe told Sky Sports:
“When we scored, we thought we could continue to dominate the game, but we couldn’t capitalize on that momentum. The first half didn’t go well for us.
“In the second half, we were second best throughout the first half. I didn’t like our performance. Technically we were poor. We conceded too many goals and gave Sunderland too much momentum too many times.”
“I think the loss was tough for us, but we certainly didn’t play well enough.
“We have some big games coming up in the Premier League. We have a chance to get into a different phase of the season where we can train every week and get some freshness back into our performances.”
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Newcastle manager Eddie Howe says ‘I accept responsibility’ after 2-1 defeat to Sunderland
‘Sunderland never let their emotions get the best of them’
Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris told Sky Sports:
“We didn’t get off to a good start with this early mistake. We stayed calm and coordinated well with what we wanted to do. It’s a difficult place because their crowd gives us momentum sometimes, but the team responded well.”
“I got a little bit emotional at halftime because it’s important and this game is really important for us. We didn’t want to lose. We decided to stay aligned, stick together and push together and the second half was really good in that regard.”
“There were some tough times, but I enjoyed some chances and I think I played some good football.
“We want to win and we want to be proud of the club. It’s important when we lose and we’re not satisfied, and that’s acceptable. I really appreciated the second half, including the team’s reaction after conceding the goal. We were calm, composed and will take our chances when they come.”
