Sunderland and Newcastle United's derby starting XIs - according to the stats experts
Sunderland will be looking to complete a league double over local rivals Newcastle United this weekend.
Regis Le Bris and Eddie Howe are both facing a number of tough decisions over the coming days as the Tyne-Wear derby approaches.
Sunderland will travel to St James Park looking to complete a league double over arch rivals Newcastle United for the third time in the last four seasons in which both clubs have battled in the same division. A own goal from club record signing Nick Woltemade stretched the Magpies run without a league derby win to a tenth game and their last victory came in August 2011 when a Ryan Taylor free-kick handed Alan Pardew’s Newcastle all three points at the Stadium of Light.
Since that day, the likes of Fabio Borini, Steven Fletcher and Jermaine Defoe have all written themselves into Wearside folklore by finding the net against Newcastle as the Black Cats have dominated their derby clashes over the last 15 years - but which players could feature for the current Sunderland side when Le Bris selects his starting eleven for Sunday’s short trip to St James Park?
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With just days to go until the red and whites go into battle with the black and whites once again, we take a look at which players would appear in both starting elevens if they were based on average Premier League match ratings provided by the stats experts at WhoScored.
Sunderland’s strongest starting XI - according to WhoScored
GK: Robin Roefs - 6.8 RB: Nordi Mukiele - 7.0 CB: Dan Ballard - 7.1 CB: Omar Alderete - 6.9 LB: Trai Hume - 6.9 CM: Granit Xhaka - 7.0 CM: Noah Sadiki - 6.6 CM: Enzo Le Fee - 6.8 RW: Bertrand Traore - 6.7 LW: Chemsdine Talbi - 6.34 ST: Brian Brobbey - 6.6
Newcastle United’s strongest starting XI - according to WhoScored
GK: Nick Pope - 6.6 RB: Kieran Tripper - 6.6 CB: Malick Thiaw - 6.9 CB: Dan Burn - 6.8 LB: Lewis Hall - 7.1 CM: Bruno Guimaraes - 7.2 CM: Sandro Tonali - 6.6 CM: Joelinton - 6.8 RW: Anthony Elanga - 6.4 LW: Anthony Gordon - 6.6 ST: Nick Woltemade - 6.9
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