Touching the foot of Stokoe is a supporter ritual, and more than two hours before kick-off, there were Sunderland fans doing just that. Bradley Sharp, 34, and his son Archie, 14, were two of them. “We’ve done it since I first came with granda and my dad,” Sharp said. “Touching the boot, it’s something we’ve done since I started bringing him along.”

Post-match, Bruno’s now-predictable offerings about Newcastle “being a better team than Sunderland” felt somewhat inconsequential. They certainly weren’t on Sunday, and player for player, they haven’t been during 2025/2026 thus far.

Sunderland savoured their sweetest victory in years on Sunday, beating Newcastle United 1-0 in a Premier League derby that served as perfect revenge for a painful FA Cup humiliation in 2024.

Never has a contribution from a Newcastle player been cheered so wildly by Sunderland supporters. The hosts may have only had a single shot on target on Sunday, but don't let that fool you - they fully deserved this win.

The first half saw a thundering tackle from Nordi Mukiele, crashing into the ribs of Dan Burn near the touchline, and whilst Mukiele did receive a yellow for the collision, it was absolutely worth it to see the world’s longest man limp off the pitch and apparently straight to the nearest doctor.

A banner day for Regis Le Bris and Sunderland will prove a new challenge for their Wear-Tyne derby rivals as Eddie Howe and Newcastle were dropped 1-0 by the Black Cats at the Stadium of Light.

Expert recap and game analysis of the Sunderland vs. Newcastle United English Premier League game from December 14, 2025 on ESPN.

Nick Woltemade was Newcastle United's derby day villain as his own goal gave Sunderland a battling 1-0 win over their bitter rivals at the Stadium of Light.