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Sunderland experienced stage fright on the biggest occasion this afternoon, the Tyne-Wear Derby won by Newcastle United as a result who ran the nervous Black Cats ragged all match in a 3-0 victory.
The obvious gulf in quality between the two sides really stuck out from the match, the Magpies exploding into life in the second half to make sure of a passage into the next round of the FA Cup but Eddie Howe‘s team barely broke a sweat in the first 45 minutes and led 1-0.
Michael Beale will have to lift his players after such a soul-crushing defeat when Sunderland return to Championship action, with various members of the first-team squad falling way below their usual standards.
Daniel Ballard had a topsy-turvy contest at the Stadium of Light to say the least, battling admirably with Alexander Isak moments before firing into his own net to give the away side from enemy territory the lead.
Daniel Ballard’s game vs Newcastle in numbers
Ballard has been a consistent bright spark for Sunderland in the second tier this campaign, but had a notable off-day in the fierce showdown with Newcastle.
The former Arsenal man did show signs of his defensive acumen at points, battling well in one instance in the first half involving Isak breathing down on goal without giving away a silly foul.
Yet, all of his early good work was undone when the number five fired past Anthony Patterson in his own net to unfortunately gift the Magpies a golden opening strike – Ballard needing to be there in an effort to stop a Newcastle shirt from tapping home, a sickening moment for the centre-back.
Ballard’s frustrations also came to the forefront late on when Anthony Gordon was unleashed into acres of space, the 24-year-old bringing the pacey winger down in the area to give Newcastle a penalty which was confidently dispatched.
Beale will hope that Ballard won’t produce any clangers in the league similar to this display any time soon, the Newcastle attackers having a field day at the expense of the ropey defender.
Ballard wasn’t the only shaky member of a susceptible back four, however, in the 3-0 defeat, with Trai Hume letting his side down constantly in the Tyne-Wear Derby at right-back too.
Trai Hume’s game vs Newcastle in numbers
Extending his contract with the Wearside club in the off-season before this campaign got underway, Hume is a much-loved figure at the Stadium of Light who will pray that this display against Newcastle is a blip.
The expansive full-back did notch up two key passes in the loss, but it was his work at the back that continually let him down away from his creativity charging forward.
Giving away three fouls in the game, Hume was a little too rash and hot-headed when the hosts needed some more calm on the pitch.
Trai Hume’s numbers v Newcastle |
|
---|---|
Duels won |
5/11 |
Possession lost |
15x |
Fouls given away |
3 |
Touches |
68 |
Passing accuracy |
71% |
Key passes |
2 |
Stats by Sofascore |
Moreover, Hume couldn’t handle both Gordon and Miguel Almiron darting up the field in waves of attacking pressure with the Northern Irish full-back dribbled past twice.
It was his feeble display going into duels and keeping possession that also stuck out, winning just five of his 11 duels in the game whilst further losing possession 15 times which proved costly.
It led to football journalist Andy Tomlinson of the Roker Report brandishing Hume with a lowly 3/10 match rating in his post-match thoughts, a below-par day for the defender amongst a collective nightmare for Sunderland.
The first Tyne-Wear Derby since 2016 certainly lived up to its billing as an enthralling and entertaining spectacle, with Sunderland not wanting another contest of this magnitude for quite some now after being humiliated on their own patch.
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