The atmosphere is at boiling point. Sunderland ignores Newcastle on the scoreboard as fans unveil banner
Sunderland and Newcastle face off in Matchweek 16 of the Premier League. Even before kick-off, a hostile mood engulfed the stadium and its surroundings, and just before the first whistle, the home fans unfurled a massive banner.
This clash is known as the Tyne–Wear derby, and tensions between the supporters have long been running high. Sunderland fans displayed a banner depicting a cat attacking a magpie—a clear nod to the teams’ nicknames, with Sunderland calling themselves the 'Black Cats' and Newcastle known as the 'Magpies.' Notably, this is the first time the two sides have met in the Premier League since 2016.
Remarkably, ahead of the match, police ramped up security measures to prevent any clashes between the passionate fans. Meanwhile, the stadium’s scoreboard simply listed Sunderland’s opponents as “Guests” rather than naming Newcastle United directly.
Jan Novak
Dailysports's expert
