6 hours ago
11
As recently as Friday morning Eddie Howe talked about some results having “bigger consequences than others”. This one most definitely belongs in that bracket.
In completing a Premier League double against Newcastle, Régis Le Bris’s Sunderland consigned Howe and his players to one of their most chastening afternoons at St James’ Park.
When the substitute Enzo Le Fée and the excellent Brian Brobbey combined for the latter to score a 90th minute winner a Tyne-Wear derby that had begun with the visitors presenting Anthony Gordon with a 10th-minute opener, ended with Howe starting fixedly at the turf beneath his feet.
Coming four days after Newcastle’s 7-2 Champions League dissection in Barcelona and at the hands of a seriously under-strength Sunderland it is no exaggeration to say that one of Le Bris’s biggest triumphs of an outstanding season represented an almighty calamity for Howe.
It arrived on an afternoon scarred by some unpleasant pre-match skirmishes between rival fans. Despite the midday kick-off there was a sense of ugliness and it was heightened when in the 52nd minute the match was briefly halted after the referee, Anthony Taylor, received reports that the visiting right-back, Lutsharel Geertruida – who shone throughout, throughly frustrating Harvey Barnes – had been racially abused by fans. The Premier League are now investigating that incident.
A very different sort of inquest is already under way within St James’ Park after Sunderland extended Newcastle’s winless run in the league in these derbies to 11 games. With hindsight perhaps the cockiness contained in the message spread across the banner in the Gallowgate End, declaring: “Welcome to the region’s capital; you’ve gone for so long,” was tempting fate.
That said, it did not take too long until Luke O’Nien’s trip to Tyneside took a turn for the worst.
When O’Nien, operating at centre-half in place of the hamstrung Dan Ballard, attempted to play out from the back, he succeeded merely in passing straight to Nick Woltemade. The Germany striker, deployed, initially successfully in a No 10 role as Howe altered his formation to 4-3-2-1 to accommodate his unique talents, responded by nudging the ball to Gordon. The shot from Howe’s current first-choice centre forward left Le Bris’s second-choice goalkeeper, Melker Ellborg, with no hope of a save.
With only 10 minutes on the clock O’Nien had self-destructed but, creditably, he and Sunderland galvanised themselves impressively. When Granit Xhaka’s splendid pass bisected Howe’s backline Aaron Ramsdale did very well to tip Chemsdine Talbi’s swerving shot off it’s apparently inexorable course towards the top corner.
If that was a fine save, Ellborg, had, bar picking the ball out of his net, had relatively little to do. Given that two of Le Bris’s customary first-choice defenders – Nordi Mukiele and Reinildo – were only fit enough for the bench the visitors coped with Howe’s attack surprisingly well. Indeed a Newcastle XI missing the injured Sandro Tonali’s midfield quality still looked perhaps a little traumatised by their ignominy at Camp Nou.
Sven Botman and, particularly, Dan Burn certainly appeared petrified in the face of Brobbey’s physicality, terrific hold up play and ability to press from the front – even if Botman felt sufficiently confident to advance and direct a late first half header against the woodwork.
Early in the second period Botman was forced off with a head injury. By then, Sunderland were growing in confidence and Chris Rigg, a boyhood Newcastle fan, forced Ramsdale into a decent save.
After pouncing on the fallout from Xhaka’s excellent, resultant, corner, Ramsdale’s unconvincing punch and Trai Hume’s ensuing half-volley, Talbi equalised, stabbing home from close range.
When Ramsdale subsequently parried Noah Sadiki’s shot, Newcastle fans grew nervous but their team had a goal disallowed after Jacob Murphy blocked Ellborg ahead of Malick Thiaw heading a corner home.
The moment had arrived for Le Bris to liberate Le Fée from the bench. The French playmaker’s convalescence from injury had kept him on the bench for most of the match but he stepped off it to create Brobbey’s winner.
When Le Fee surged to the byline and cut the ball back for the former Ajax striker, Brobbey was initially denied by Ramsdale but he made no mistake from the rebound. That goal dropped Newcastle to 12th, one place beneath their guests.
Once the final whistle blew and Le Bris had shaken Howe’s hand Le Fee and Brobbey were the first and second players Sunderland’s manager hugged. They headed a long queue featuring, among several others, the outstanding central defender Omar Alderete, Xhaka, Geertruida, Hume, Sadiki, Rigg and Talbi.
“Today was very important,” said Le Bris. “It’s a big achievement. But it’s not the end of our story.”
