Sunderland can keep up their impressive record against arch rivals Newcastle United when Sunday rolls around.
Indeed, looking back at the more recent iterations of the fierce Tyne-Wear Derby, the Black Cats have some memorable victories to their name, with a 3-0 win in Sunderland’s favour being the last scoreline when the two rivals faced off at the Stadium of Light in Premier League action back in 2015.
Since then, there has been only one meeting on Wearside soil in early 2024, when the then Championship strugglers were trounced by the Magpies 3-0 in the FA Cup.
Now, however, Regis Le Bris’ men will hope to collect another memorable league victory against their sworn enemy, with one figure in his talented camp now standing out as a modern-day version of Kevin Ball, who featured in various Tyne-Wear derbies himself as a legend of the club.
Kevin Ball's legend status at Sunderland
Noted as being a Sunderland legend in “the truest sense of the word” by current chairman Kyril Louis-Dreyfus in 2022, Ball really did embody the fighting spirit the Black Cats will need to show against Newcastle on the weekend throughout his long-standing stay on Wearside.
Lauded for always being “a warrior on the pitch”, by former Sunderland midfielder Jordan Henderson, Ball would go on to make a staggering 388 appearances for his beloved team, with many a memorable showdown with Newcastle popping up.
Ball’s consistent brilliance from the middle of the park would further see him chip in with 27 goals, which included this diving header being expertly put away.
On top of often being in the right place at the right time to put his neck on the line, the Black Cats hall-of-famer would also go on to collect two Player of the Year accolades at the end of the 1990/91 season and the close of the 1996/97 campaign, while also even temporarily being handed the reins as Sunderland’s caretaker boss in 2013.
To put it simply, Ball is synonymous with the famous red and white stripes of Sunderland, with Le Bris hoping he can see the same verve and determination Ball had in spades coursing through his team’s veins on Sunday, as one key individual – in particular – continues to stick out as a Ball-style figure.
The £110k-per-week star who is Le Bris' own Ball
Unfortunately, the Frenchman will be without Luke O’Nien for the showdown with the Magpies after his red card against Manchester City.
The no-nonsense 31-year-old would have loved to feature against Sunderland’s Tyneside enemies if he hadn’t been dismissed, with O’Nien recently being branded as a “remarkable” icon of the club by EFL pundit George Elek.
He’s worthy of such adoration, as well, as the full-blooded defender has notched up a crazy 316 appearances for his team now. His mammoth journey started way back in League One, with his dedication to the cause undoubtedly similar to that of Ball’s.
Yet, even with these substantial numbers next to O’Nien’s name, Granit Xhaka is managing to stand out even more as a figure made in the same mould as the ex-Sunderland captain
The Swiss international is not afraid to launch himself into a tackle or a battle if necessary, as seen in him being branded a “monster” centrally by Arsenal-based writer Connor Humm, when he was still at the Emirates.
Games played
15
Goals scored
1
Assists
4
Touches*
66.5
Accurate passes*
42.3 (83%)
Key passes*
1.2
Big chances created
5
Ball recoveries*
4.5
Total duels won*
5.4
But, much like Ball, too, as seen when looking at his mightily impressive statistics at Sunderland so far this season, Xhaka is more than capable of popping up with a crucial goal and assist, with his one goal and four assists this campaign sitting pretty next to his 5.4 duels won on average.
Managing to collect six wins in the North London Derby when on the books of the Gunners, Xhaka’s know-how under pressure has already seen him be handed the Sunderland captain’s armband, amid shouts that he is the club’s “signing of the season” by Wayne Rooney.
Of course, he still has some time to go before he will be considered a Hall-of-Fame-worthy recipient like Ball, but it’s clear from his past exploits at Arsenal and his battling nature with the Black Cats so far that the £110k-per-week star will leave everything out on the pitch against Newcastle, just like Ball would have done.
The nerves will be there from Sunderland’s perspective, with the Premier League not hosting this tense contest since 2016.
But, with Xhaka present, Le Bris will be optimistic that his side can reign supreme, to continue their fine start to the season.
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