On that occasion, Jermain Defoe opened the scoring for Sunderland before Aleksandar Mitrovic bagged a late equaliser for Newcastle in a 1-1 draw.
Newcastle are a team in form
Only once since then, in January 2024, in an FA Cup fixture, have the two North East giants met - a 3-0 victory for Newcastle - and the chance for local bragging rights as well as the carrot of staying above their opponents in the table, will likely fuel the performances of both teams.
The Magpies are in good form, and could make it five straight Premier League games unbeaten if they avoid defeat on Sunday.
Currently in 12th place in the table on 22 points, they're just a point behind their hosts, who start the weekend in ninth.
Eddie Howe and his squad have the weight of recent history against them, however, as Newcastle haven't triumphed over their local rivals in the English top-flight since August 2011, a run that extends to nine matches - Sunderland's longest-ever unbeaten run in the history of the fixture.
The Black Cats have conceded just four league goals to Newcastle in that time, and scored 16 against them.
A score to settle on Wearside
Furthermore, the Magpies have lost their last three away league games to the Mackems, which is more than they had in their previous 21 visits combined (W6 D13 L2).
Howe certainly won't need to remind his squad of the importance of the fixture, or the fact that Newcastle have never lost four league games in a row at Sunderland.
However, you have to go all the way back to April 2006 for the last time that the Magpies scored more than one goal in a Premier League fixture away at Sunderland.
Along with leaders Arsenal, Regis Le Bris' side is also unbeaten at home in 2025/26 in the league, winning four and drawing three of their seven games so far at the Stadium of Light, whilst their opponents have won just a single away match this season, drawing three and losing three more.
In fact, the hosts have more points at the Stadium of Light this season (15) than they managed in the entirety of their last English top-flight campaign (14 in 2016/17).
Newcastle must plug hole in defence
One of the major issues facing Howe and his backroom team is that Newcastle have both scored and conceded a goal in each of their last eight league games.
If they want to give themselves a better chance of a morale-boosting win, the defence needs to tighten up significantly, or else they run the risk of matching their record of 13 successive league games scoring and conceding (between December 1960 and March 1961).
The Magpies have won three of their last four top-flight games (D1), which is as many as they had in their previous 13 (D3 L7), and their 4-1 win at Everton at least stopped the rot away from St. James' Park of nine away games without a win (D4 L5).
Given that no side has lost more points from winning positions in the Premier League this season than Newcastle (11), and none have gained more points from losing positions than Sunderland (12), the game is set to be a more intriguing battle than usual.
Guimaraes struggling away from home
Bruno Guimaraes and Nick Woltemade have top-scored for the visitors so far in this campaign with five goals, and Sunderland's Wilson Isidor leads the way for them with four.
However, all five of Guimaraes' goals this season have come in home games, and nine of his last 10 goals in all competitions have been scored at St James’ Park.
Anthony Gordon has also started to find the net again after a barren period (22 Premier League games without a goal). Whilst the two goals in his last two games will be a welcome boost, he’s never scored in three games in a row before.
Both were penalties too, and no Newcastle player has ever managed to score a penalty in three consecutive Premier League games.
The importance of Granit Xhaka
For Sunderland, the importance of Granit Xhaka can't be understated in a fixture such as the derby.
His experience and game management will be crucial in helping his side combat Newcastle's press, and his passing game in both a defensive and attacking sense could set the tone.
Not only does he have the most assists for Sunderland in the Premier League this season (four), he has also created the most chances (18) and made the most total passes (765).
Of those, 317 were made in his own half with only 27 being unsuccessful, and 448 were passes in the opponent's half, with 345 finding their target.
261 were forward passes, 245 of which ended in the final third, with 176 completed.
Four yellow cards (the joint most for the Black Cats) hint at his more combative nature, and though he is just one away from a ban, that's unlikely to deter Xhaka from taking the game to Newcastle.
With so much at stake, this game could turn out to be a real Premier League classic.
