Sir Bobby Robson once dubbed Gus Poyet "the scourge of Newcastle." As a player with Chelsea and then Tottenham Hotspur Sunderland's manager invariably scored against Robson's old side and two wins in two north-east derbies with Alan Pardew's side suggests he still possesses the knack of undoing the Tynesiders.
It was Sunderland's third straight Tyne-Wear derby win and with Poyet's side playing the better, more considered football it was hard to credit the visitors are struggling to stay in the Premier League and Newcastle aiming for Europe.
Or at least Pardew's team were hoping for a Europa League place before Yohan Cabaye's £20m departure to Paris St Germain last week. On this evidence, life without their best individual and midfield playmaker promises to be horribly tough for Newcastle, who were booed off as travelling fans delighted in directing chants of "you're getting sacked in the morning" at Pardew.
The game kicked off with Adam Johnson having scored more goals this season (six) than the entire Newcastle starting XI (five) put together. He began here by creating one, his delicate flick to Phil Bardsley prefacing the visiting right-back being brought down by Vurnon Anita in the area. Fabio Borini stepped up to lash the resultant penalty into the top corner, only to receive a ticking off from his manager for opting to celebrate by perching on a perimiter advertising hoarding with arms aloft.
If Poyet was worried about Borini inciting home fans, Pardew had greater anxieties. They deepened when another cute flick, from Jozy Altidore this time, sent Jack Colback accelerating into the box. His eventual shot took a deflection off Steven Taylor before being parried by Tim Krul but Johnson was on hand to sweep the rebound into the back of the net from close range.
Dark clouds were gathering over Gallowgate but it was easy to imagine that 12 miles down the road on Wearside a brilliant sun was suddenly lighting up the February sky.
Pardew had begun with Cheick Tioté seemingly man marking Sunderland's influential Ki Sung-yueng but what Newcastle had evidently not bargained for was Colback having such a good game in central midfield.
Behind Colback and Ki, Liam Bridcutt was making his debut in a quasi sweeping role between defence and midfield. Brighton's former anchor looked anything but out of his depth, Bridcutt making one marvellous interception to deny Hatem Ben Arfa as his quiet assurance explained precisely why Poyet says he "trusts" him so much.
Judging by the expression on his face, Pardew's faith in his players had been badly shaken and it was no surprise when he replaced Sammy Ameobi with the Netherlands striker Luuk de Jong – newly arrived on loan from Borussia Mönchengladbach – at half-time.
With De Jong far from properly match fit, Vito Mannone remained underemployed but Sunderland's goalkeeper did save a capriciously curling shot from Tioté quite brilliantly before doing well to deny the onrushing Shola Ameobi. Sunderland though could easily have gone three up when, having dribbled beyond two markers, Johnson's curving shot hit a post, with Krul looking well-beaten.
It would have been game over had Newcastle's keeper not saved at Altidore's feet but shortly afterwards Sunderland sealed victory. Appropriately the goal was made and finished by Colback. First he dispossessed Ben Arfa and then, after playing a one-two with Borini, the midfielder stroked a shot past Krul.
Cue Newcastle shirts and season tickets before thrown on the pitch before two idiotic pitch invaders interrupted proceedings. While the first was removed before he could square up to Pardew, the second attempted to show Newcastle's players how to score by seizing the ball and aiming at the empty net. He missed.
via Football news, match reports and fixtures | theguardian.com http://ift.tt/1bfsadN
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