The 20th Premier League Tyne-Wear derby ended in stalemate, as derby hero Shola Ameobi came off the bench to score a dramatic injury time equaliser in a game that saw plenty of action including two penalties for either team and two red cards for the visiting side.
Newcastle started with the same team as against Wolves – Pardew opting for his tried and tested 4-4-2 formation. O’Neill brought Bendtner back to the team, playing Sessegnon behind the lone striker.
Sunderland get the better of the first half
Sunderland started the better of the two teams, as they stifled Newcastle’s play and limited their chances up front.
Despite the brainless antics of Cattermole at the start and the end of the match, Cattermole played relatively well protecting Sunderland’s back four in the first half.
He sat in front of the defence, restricting any passes from Newcastle into the feet of Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse. Instead, many balls were played from long and lofted into the air from midfield and defence – Ba and Cisse unable to hold onto the ball enough to allow for a sustained attack.
Overall, Cattermole won 75% of this tackles (3/4), 57% of his ground duels (8/14) and made 5 interceptions in the match – along with O’Shea, the most from either team.
More on page 2: Pardew’s Plan B