Newcastle could have done with a cage to contain Brian Brobbey. He bullied them and, at the death, was the deserved match-winner. But, again, it’s Newcastle’s defenders who need locking up. In fact, chuck in the midfield, if you can find it.
Brobbey’s 90th-minute winner had been coming from the moment Chemsdine Talbi equalised 12 minutes into the second half. Granit Xhaka passed through the middle of the pitch, a free area of green to rival the nearby Leazes Park in size, and found Noah Sadiki.
His ball to Enzo Le Fee was not great, but the subsequent cross was, fizzed low to the near post. Brobbey was alert to it, Tino Livramento was asleep. Even when the striker’s first poke was saved by Aaron Ramsdale, Livramento slept through the alarm. It meant that Brobbey was left free to turn in from barely two yards out.
There were seven minutes of added time but, by now, Newcastle were a mess, a patchwork quilt of starters, substitutes and, to be brutal, slackers.
They were gifted a 10th-minute lead but did not know what to do with it – there was no control in midfield, little cohesion in defence and, in attack, composure evaporated the moment Anthony Gordon applied a fine finish for the opener.
And this was the derby Eddie Howe and his players could not lose, not after Wednesday’s 7-2 defeat in Barcelona and, more so, not after December’s 1-0 defeat at Sunderland. They lost again and can have no complaints.
There were boos on full-time and they will echo through the entirety of the international break and beyond. Newcastle had to scrap plans to fly to Dubai for a warm-weather break this week following the outbreak of war. In the coming days, they might well have felt more comfortable in the Middle East.
It was a tumble-dryer of a start – all noise, heat and motion. Little of it made any sense. Then, on 10 minutes, Gordon broke the cycle. For Sunderland defender Luke O’Nien, it was a horror show. One man’s X-rated, however, is a rival’s love story.
O’Nien attempted to play a pass from his six-yard area after a short goal-kick but found Woltemade, and the German’s interception found Gordon.
There was a chance for O’Nien to make good on his error but what he did was bad, charging towards Gordon who gleefully skipped by. Reinvented as a striker in recent weeks, Gordon looked like one here, finishing low across Melker Ellborg.
This was the start Newcastle needed after the pain of Barcelona, and Sunderland’s defending was like theirs had been in the second half at the Nou Camp.
The difference was that Sunderland did not collapse like a pack of cards. Rather, they played their joker – Brobbey. They had one tactic and only needed one – hit the big man, and he’ll hit anyone who comes near him.
Brobbey versus fellow Dutchman Sven Botman should have taken place inside ropes, not a football stadium. There were no tulips here, this was clog on cheeseboard.
When Botman was forced off early in the second half, after an accidental kick in the face from Brobbey, the Sunderland striker sought a new victim.
On came Malick Thiaw and, immediately, Brobbey won a header from which Chris Rigg’s shot was turned behind for a corner. From the corner, Talbi scored after the ball had bounced around the goalmouth. The visitors wanted it more.
Sunderland looked the more likely winners from that point on – the surprise was that it took until the 90th minute for the goal to arrive. There was no such shock at the identity of the scorer.
