The timing of our first Sunderland rivalry clash since 2016 could not be worse for Newcastle.
We have lost seven of our past eight games in all competitions and five of our last six Premier League games. As a result, we have fallen to ninth place in the league standings, having been only two points ahead of fourth place just two weeks ago.
In the two matches that were not in the Premier League, we lost 2-1 at home to AC Milan in Europe and lost 4-2 on penalties to Chelsea in the Carabao Cup following a 1-1 draw after ninety minutes. Things have drastically declined since we defeated Manchester United 1-0 at home in early December.
The last thing we need is to lose at Sunderland. Â Based on our calculations, 10 players will still be out for the match at the Stadium of Light due to injuries or suspensions. And we’re shocked that Eddie Howe hasn’t planned some warm-weather training in Saudi Arabia before our final January game, which is an away trip to Aston Villa on January 30, and over the January break.
