By Brian Sears  18 March 2016 St James’ Park hosts a north-east derby of particular significance this weekend as the outcome will swing the relegation scrap. Newcastle and Sunderland are both in the bottom four, respectively nine and eight points adrift of Swansea heading into the weekend. If Rafa Benitez can guide his charges to victory then they and […]

By Brian Sears 25 September 2015 Newcastle have represented the north-east of England in the Premier League in 22 of the 24 seasons since the 1992-93 revamp, this season included. Sunderland have been in the PL for 15 of the 24 years and Middlesbrough, currently in an automatic promotion spot in the Championship, for 14 of 24. Newcastle have by any […]

By Brian Sears 24 October 2014 The two Premier League clubs with the most draws so far this season meet this weekend when Sunderland (five draws in eight league matches) host Arsenal (ditto). Ten places separate those two clubs, with Arsenal in seventh and Sunderland in 17th before the weekend’s action starts. And three points […]

By Brian Sears 24 December 2013 Famously the club at the bottom of the Premier League on Christmas Day has always ended up relegated with the sole and notable exception of West Brom in 2004-05. Sunderland are bottom for Christmas 2013, which statistically makes them 95 per cent doomed to the drop. But as the […]

By Brian Sears 27 September 2013 Sunderland’s woeful start to the season has left them bottom of the Premier League with one point from five games, a tally that has led 64 per cent of clubs in the same situation to relegation. How so? In the 21 completed seasons of the Premier League, 14 clubs […]

By Brian Sears 20 September 2013 Arsenal have played 135 Premier League games at The Emirates since leaving Highbury in 2006, winning 87 times (a win rate of 64.5 per cent), drawing 31 and losing 17, including this season’s opening match against Aston Villa. Arsenal have won 292 Premier League points at the Emirates from 32 […]

By Brian Sears 12 April 2013 Three north-east clubs have played in the Premier League in its 21-year existence and though their fortunes have ebbed and flowed, one club has clearly been the regional dominant force over that time – Newcastle. In the 20 completed Premier League seasons, Newcastle have finished the best of the […]

By Brian Sears 7 December 2012 Last week we pointed out that Chelsea went to Upton Park with the weight of historical results on their side.  In the six seasons 2005-2011 when West Ham were last in the Premier League, Chelsea won 10 and drew two of their 12 encounters. What a statistical surprise (or was it […]

By Brian Sears 23 November 2012  West Bromwich Albion’s remarkable start to the season has earned them 23 points from their first 12 Premier League games – the best start they have ever had in the revamped top division by far. In six previous seasons in the Prem, their best tally after 12 games before […]

By Brian Sears 19 October 2012 Newcastle’s manager Alan Pardew still awaits a first Premier League win since signing his extraordinary eight-year contract but takes his side to Sunderland on Sunday in the knowledge Newcastle have a first-class record in north-east derbies in the PL era. They have played 46 derbies in that time, 26 against […]