We asked Mark Jankowski to give us his match ratings and player commentary after Sunderland 1 Newcastle 0.
Ramsdale 6
Had one to save and made up for it.
He was also positive about his line and unconcerned about any pressure from Sunderland.
I can’t give him anything higher because he had nothing to do.
Livramento 6
Tino managed to get behind Sunderland’s defense during a swollen first half but was never able to repeat that early danger.
I think there were some missed opportunities for Tino today.
Thiaw 6
He kept Sunderland’s pitiful frontline completely still and did his best to thread balls through it whenever he could.
At least showed some fight when needed, but it was too little too late.
Burn 6
Played well while on the field.
Was extremely unlucky to find himself on the wrong side of a 50/50 challenge.
Hoping there is no long term damage to the big man.
Hall 7
One of our best performances of the day.
He was very confident on the ball and was solid defensively, especially after being peppered with long balls every time Sunderland had possession.
Bruno 7
Tried to single-handedly get us through long stretches of the game.
Unfortunately, he was limited to a few speculative attempts.
We cannot rely on Bruno to do everything himself every week.
Tonal 6
Stopped a few Sunderland counter-attacks but wasn’t particularly involved in the game.
I’m not sure if he’s still struggling with his fitness, but it seemed like he had no strength left.
Miley 6
Coped well with the environment and looked good on the ball.
We need to see a little more intent around the young man’s box, similar to Wednesday.
I didn’t take enough chances to get into the Sunderland box.
The garden
I was surprised when he got the start today over Murphy.
I thought Elanga was okay in the first half, but as the match went on his heavy touches crept up and became a problem the longer he was on the pitch.
After some recent improvements in his performance, this was a step back.
Woltemade 4
I couldn’t really get involved in the game.
The few times he was able to touch the ball, he was unusually loose with his passing.
A day to forget for big Nick, especially after his OG gifted the Mackems all three points.
Gordon 5
Overall disappointing from AG today.
I did think he was starting to come into the game just as he was substituted, but he never got the chance to build on his signs of promise.
I think others will think he should have been ranked lower, but in my opinion he was the best striker we had today (which isn’t saying much).
Subs
Group 7
Obtains the club and the required levels.
Unfortunately, we don’t have enough players showing Schar’s level of determination right now, and that’s a problem.
Barnes 5
He got to his full-back a few times, but his effort left a lot to be desired.
He tried to get into the final third, but our play was too slow to make any use of his qualities.
Murphy5
I would have started Murphy today, but when he came on his last ball wasn’t good enough.
He was better on the ball than Elanga, which wasn’t that difficult today, but we need more from our wide players now.
Willock
Our performance improved a little after Willock’s introduction, but ultimately he failed to create anything.
Showed a willingness to try to get ahead, but was outnumbered and outmuscled when he did.
Warning 5
One wonders if a sharper Wissa would have reached Murphy’s deflected cross in the final 15 minutes.
He didn’t contribute much today, but we need to get him into the starting line-up as early as possible.
Playing Woltemade behind Wissa could be the way forward in unlocking teams that are sitting back.
Sunderland 1 Newcastle 0 – Sunday 14 December 2025 2pm
Match statistics
Goals:
Newcastle United:
Sunderland:
Woltemade OG 46
Possess was Newcastle 54% Sunderland 46%
Total shots were Newcastle 6 Sunderland 5
Shots on target were Newcastle 2 Sunderland 1
Corners were Newcastle 6 Sunderland 3
Touches in the opposition box Newcastle 14 Sunderland 14
Newcastle team vs Sunderland:
Ramsdale, Livramento, Thiaw, Burn (Schar 42), Hall, Tonali (Willock 59), Miley, Bruno, Gordon (Barnes 59), Woltemade (Wissa 75), Elanga (Jacob Murphy 59)
Unused subs:
Ruddy, Joelinton, Alex Murphy, Ramsey
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