da 888casino： Miguel Almiron was sensational throughout the 90 minutes but Sunderland gifted their age-old rivals all three goals in a dire 3-0 loss.
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Sunderland went behind to an own goalPierre Ekwah made dismal mistake for secondAlexander Isak scored late penaltyGetty ImagesTELL ME MORE
Newcastle had dominated the opening half an hour, and were given their due reward when Daniel Ballard inadvertently sent Joelinton's teasing cross into his own goal. Before being given a chance to settle into the second half, Sunderland conceded again, as Almiron capitalised on some woeful control from Pierre Ekwah to nick the ball in the Black Cats box and squared for Isak to finish.
Sunderland did have a couple of promising moments, with Alex Pritchard hitting the crossbar from range, but this was largely a toothless performance, and their Premier League opponents were rarely troubled. And the scoreline was capped late on, when Isak scored from the spot after Ballard fouled Anthony Gordon in the penalty area. In a derby that promised so much, the hosts' performance left much to be desired to give Newcastle their first win against their bitter rivals since 2011.
AdvertisementGettyTHE MVP
Almiron was superb for Newcastle throughout, setting the tone of the press, never giving up on a lost cause, and creating Isak's goal. The Paraguay international is a livewire at his best and Sunderland simply couldn't deal with him, such was his dynamism and pace.
GettyTHE BIG LOSER
It has to be Ballard. He may have been unlucky to score his own goal when Joelinton fizzed in a great ball but he had no need to absolutely clean out Gordon late on, conceding a penalty that confirmed the Magpies' thumping win. All three goals were gifted to the Magpies on a silver platter, and two of them were presented by Ballard.
GettyWHAT COMES NEXT?
Newcastle will return to Premier League action next weekend with the toughest possible fixture: Manchester City. Sunderland, by comparison, will return to Championship play against Ipswich.