With both sides effectively involved in the relegation tussle, there is a good chance this is going to be one of the most exciting Tyne-Wear derbies ever. Newcastle are without a doubt in a better position at the moment, although Sunderland fans are hoping Paolo Di Canio is just the man to lead the Black Cats to victory at St James Park.

Close, but no cigar

Having battled bravely with everything thrown their way in the first part of the season, Newcastle were able to get back on the right track in the New Year and make the most out of a bad campaign. While climbing away from the relegation zone, the Magpies recorded some excellent results in Europe in spite of the fact that Alan Pardew was constantly fielding weakened sides in Europa League. His men proved their worth with some promising displays against Anzhi and Benfica, and they even came really close to making it to the semi-finals, but now it’s time to shift their focus back to the Premier League. With Hatem Ben Arfa and Steven Taylor back in contention, and few other starters returning after they were rested in midweek, Newcastle look to be in good stead for the all-important clash against Sunderland. Even if current form rarely plays a part in these kinds of matches, the sheer quality and experience of Newcastle players should prove enough for another morale-boosting victory.

Yoan Gouffran, Steven Taylor and Hatem Ben Arfa are back to the starting line-up, but Fabricio Coloccini, Davide Santon and Cheick Tiote are set to miss out.

Lot of work to do

Had Paolo DI Canio taken over the reigns midway through the season, Sunderland would probably have a better chance of staying alive, as there is only so much a manager can do with seven games to go. The team have shown some improvement at Stamford Bridge, but they were, nonetheless, unable to profit from what was Chelsea’s very disappointing performance. With the team remaining above the bottom three only on goal difference, there are no doubts the Black Cats will be under tremendous pressure in the Tyne-Wear derby. Even a blind man can see that they lack the quality to match very good Newcastle side, meaning they might have to play a perfect match in order to get something from St James Park. That could prove to be a mission impossible now that a number of regular starters are missing, and we all know Sunderland squad do not really have a big strength in depth. We can certainly expected a committed display from the visitors and hard-working approach, but that is unlikely to be enough for a positive result in Newcastle.

Craig Gardner is banned, but Carlos Cuellar, Danny Graham and Connor Wickham are all injury doubts. Lee Cattermole, Steven Fletcher and Wes Brown are definitely out.

Verdict

Even with a number of key men missing, Newcastle produced a very good display against true European powerhouses in midweek and the odds are they will perform even better now that the likes of Ben Arfa, Marveaux and Taylor are set to start. Sunderland just don’t have enough quality to match their arch rivals, especially as they are without Fletcher and Cattermole.

Top pick: Home win   1.95 (19/20) @ Paddy Power

Alternative pick 1: Over 2.5 goals   2.00 (1/1) @ Coral

Alternative pick 2: Over 6 cards   2.70 (17/10) @ William Hill

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