Huge demands on Newcastle United now made clear compared to Sunderland

Newcastle United travel to Sunderland on Sunday.

It is 23 months since the most recent derby.

Newcastle United trouncing Sunderland 3-0 last year, United progressing to the fourth round of the FA Cup in January 2024.

The most recent Sunderland victory in a derby match was all the way back in October 2015, more than a decade ago.

With the last Premier League derbies played in the 2015/16 season, no surprise that the focus is so intense on this Sunderland v Newcastle United clash that is fast approaching.

In the build up to the derby, I have been surprised that this stunning statistic hasn’t been flagged up.

The huge demands on Eddie Howe and his Newcastle United players, compared to Regis Le Bris and the Sunderland players.

Across the last three months, since the September internationals, Newcastle United have had to play 67 per cent more matches than Sunderland!

It is quite incredible when you drill down it, Sunderland having had only 12 matches to play from mid-September onwards, compared to 20 for Newcastle United.

Sunderland embarrassingly lost at home to League One Huddersfield in the Carabao Cup in August, before Newcastle United even entered the competition.

So from mid-September onwards, both teams having 12 Premier League matches, but Eddie Howe also having two Carabao Cup games during this period as well, plus six Champions League matches.

I am not complaining!

Obviously I am very happy that Newcastle United are on course for at least a play-off tie that could send NUFC through to the last 16 knockout stages of the Champions League, plus a fourth Carabao Cup quarter-final in a row.

However, you also can’t ignore the fact of just how much greater the demands are on Eddie Howe and his Newcastle United squad, when having to play every midweek, as well as every weekend.

It would be a massive achievement if with all the other factors/obstacles Eddie Howe has had to deal with, if he can have Newcastle United competing on all four fronts into January and beyond.

What huge week awaits, with the Mackems on Sunday, then Fulham on Wednesday in the Carabao Cup, followed by Chelsea on the Saturday.

Then a rare treat as a six day break before taking on Man U at Old Trafford on Boxing Day.