Sunderland will host the 152nd Tyne-Wear Derby on Sunday and Sam Allardyce’s men are desperately looking for their first win of the second. The Black Cats are already five points from safety after nine matches and are the only team across England’s top-four tiers yet to secure maximum points from a game this season. Things haven’t been much better for Newcastle, mind. Last weekend’s thumping 6-2 victory over Norwich was only their first win of the season as they occupy the final relegation spot. But which team dominates a combined XI when considering their WhoScored ratings this season?
Given their respective form in the league, which reads a combined 13 defeats from 18 matches, the ratings do not inspire much confidence across the board. Other than Georginio Wijnaldum (7.20 WhoScored rating), there haven’t been many others that can be happy with their performances across the board. Even the Netherlands international’s displays have come sporadically, but six goals in his first nine league appearances is hard not to be impressed by.
The former PSV Eindhoven captain is joined by five other Newcastle teammates as Steve McClaren’s men marginally edge the combined XI. The fact Younes Kaboul (6.82), who has come in for fierce criticism from all quarters this season, makes the team perhaps sums up best what type of season it has been for both teams.
The performances of Moussa Sissoko (7.07) and Ayoze Perez (6.97) will have pleased McClaren in recent weeks and offer some light at the end of what has been a very long tunnel for the Magpies this season. The latter has been partnered up front in the last two matches with Aleksandar Mitrović and has scored two goals and registered two further assists in that time, garnering a WhoScored rating of 8.51 in the process.
Injury to Tim Krul has allowed Costel Pantillimon to claim the gloves in this XI. Only two other keepers to have featured in more than two games have a lower WhoScored rating than the Sunderland goalkeeper so far this season (6.34) and the likes of Perez, Sissoko, Mitrovic and Wijnaldum will be looking to take advantage of that with their sights set firmly on climbing the table and away from the drop zone.
For more stats on the Tyne-Wear derby, click here to visit the WhoScored preview
