Premier League: Improving Newcastle faring better than their north-east rivals

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew has plenty to smile about at present

Andy Brassell takes a look at the contrasting fortuness of the north east's two Premier League clubs, with Sunderland struggling for wins but Newcastle now firmly in the Champions League qualifying picture...

A lot can happen in three-and-a-half months. Just ask the footballing public of the north-east, still adjusting to seeing Newcastle United clutching at the coattails of the Premier League's leading lights, while Sunderland peer over their own shoulders with some trepidation at the other end of the table.

It isn't quite a repeat of April 2003 just yet, when Newcastle fans visiting the Stadium Of Light for the derby baited the rock-bottom hosts by waving passports at them, with the Mags heading for the Champions League again. Still, this wasn't how it was supposed to be.

After Gus Poyet's Sunderland finished last season unscathed and with the rejuvenating experience of a Wembley final appearance behind them, they might have expected to at least give their neighbours a run for their money, with St James's Park still stuck under the reigns of Mike Ashley and, therefore, Alan Pardew. So you'll forgive the red and white side of the rivalry a little scratching of their heads when reflecting on an eight-points gap between the two, in Pardew and company's favour.

It has all taken shape in recent weeks. Sunderland are winless in five, despite creditable draws with Chelsea, Everton and Liverpool within that run. They have indeed looked fairly solid. If we take away the anomalous 8-0 thrashing at Southampton, Poyet's team have conceded a respectable 15 goals in 14 games. They've only lost four times, less than either Tottenham or Liverpool.

Yet it's not too hard to find the root of the problem. No team has won less than Sunderland's two - the other three sides with as few wins are the bottom three. Only Burnley (10) have scored less than the Mackems' meagre 13.

With the heady fervour of the weekend win over Chelsea occupying the mind and the heart at the moment, it's easy to forget that Newcastle weren't even at plodding pace a few weeks back. All of their six wins this season have arrived in their last eight games, since they broke their season duck against Leicester, which was as recently as October 18th.

It's hard to put your finger on exactly what the key to the resurgence is. Newcastle, having scored a modest 17 times themselves, are hardly prolific. There's no real go-to XI. Only six players have started 10 times or more, and a few of the main summer signings have struggled to make an impact.

Rmy Cabella is slowly integrating (though his replacement, Papiss Demba Ciss, scored the goals which downed Jos Mourinho's men on Saturday), but Emmanuel Rivire is without a goal in eight appearances, and Siem de Jong has been restricted to just a single start by injury.

That Ciss is beginning to rediscover the form that immediately followed his 2012 move from Freiburg - having scored seven times - helps, while Ayoze Prez chipping in with an unexpected three goals, which have all been match-changers, has also aided Pardew's men. Clearly confidence is a major theme among a capable squad, something that Sunderland have struggled to generate.

Poyet should still be able to steer his ship away from troubled waters, and both they and Newcastle look good for results this weekend, anyway.

Even if the Geordies have suffered three successive defeats at the Emirates since Andy Carroll's headed winner gave them their last points there in November 2010 (Newcastle's only win against Arsenal in the last 17 in all competitions), they are worth your faith ahead of their visit to London - particularly given the Gunners' pallid campaign to date. You can get 4.94/1 for the draw, but why not be brave, with Pardew's lot available at 8.27/1 to win?

Sunderland entertain high-flying West Ham, but the 12 points that part them in the table are unlikely to be maintained over the course of the season. Odds of 3.55/2 on the stalemate - given Sunderland's general stoutness - seems like exceptional value.