Having lost the last two Premier League matches against Reading (2-1, away) and Portsmouth (1-4, home), Big Sam says the pressure on him is not justified.
But we have not suffered three Premier League defeats in a row since beaten by Manchester United (a), Bolton (h) and Middlesbrough (a) between 1 and 22 October 2006.
However ... on the positive side ... three points and we reach 3,500 in top-flight football.
NEWCASTLE v SUNDERLAND HISTORY
2005/2006 Mon 17 Apr Sunderland 1 - 4 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
Sun 23 Oct Newcastle Utd. 3 - 2 Sunderland Premiership
2002/2003 Sat 26 Apr Sunderland 0 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
Sat 21 Sep Newcastle Utd. 2 - 0 Sunderland Premiership
2001/2002 Sun 24 Feb Sunderland 0 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
Sun 26 Aug Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 Sunderland Premiership
2000/2001 Sat 21 Apr Sunderland 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
Sat 18 Nov Newcastle Utd. 1 - 2 Sunderland Premiership
1999/2000 Sat 05 Feb Sunderland 2 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
Wed 25 Aug Newcastle Utd. 1 - 2 Sunderland Premiership
1996/1997 Sat 05 Apr Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 Sunderland Premiership
Wed 04 Sep Sunderland 1 - 2 Newcastle Utd. Premiership
1992/1993 Sun 25 Apr Newcastle Utd. 1 - 0 Sunderland League Division One
Sun 18 Oct Sunderland 1 - 2 Newcastle Utd. League Division One
1991/1992 Sun 29 Mar Newcastle Utd. 1 - 0 Sunderland Second Division
Sun 17 Nov Sunderland 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
1989/1990 Wed 16 May Newcastle Utd. 0 - 2 Sunderland Football League Play-Offs (Lvl 2)
Sunderland won 2-0 on aggregate
Sun 13 May Sunderland 0 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Football League Play-Offs (Lvl 2)
Sun 04 Feb Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 Sunderland Second Division
Sun 24 Sep Sunderland 0 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
1984/1985 Mon 08 Apr Sunderland 0 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Tue 01 Jan Newcastle Utd. 3 - 1 Sunderland First Division
1979/1980 Sat 05 Apr Sunderland 1 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
Tue 01 Jan Newcastle Utd. 3 - 1 Sunderland Second Division
Wed 05 Sep Newcastle Utd. 2 - 2 Sunderland League Cup
after extra time, aggregate 4-4, Sunderland won 7-6 on penalties
Wed 29 Aug Sunderland 2 - 2 Newcastle Utd. League Cup
1978/1979 Sat 24 Feb Newcastle Utd. 1 - 4 Sunderland Second Division
Sat 14 Oct Sunderland 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
1976/1977 Fri 08 Apr Sunderland 2 - 2 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Mon 27 Dec Newcastle Utd. 2 - 0 Sunderland First Division
1969/1970 Fri 27 Mar Sunderland 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 08 Nov Newcastle Utd. 3 - 0 Sunderland First Division
1968/1969 Sat 22 Mar Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 Sunderland First Division
Sat 31 Aug Sunderland 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1967/1968 Sat 30 Dec Sunderland 3 - 3 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Tue 26 Dec Newcastle Utd. 2 - 1 Sunderland First Division
1966/1967 Sat 04 Mar Sunderland 3 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 29 Oct Newcastle Utd. 0 - 3 Sunderland First Division
1965/1966 Sat 05 Mar Newcastle Utd. 2 - 0 Sunderland First Division
Mon 03 Jan Sunderland 2 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1963/1964 Sat 14 Mar Newcastle Utd. 1 - 0 Sunderland Second Division
Wed 09 Oct Sunderland 2 - 1 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
1962/1963 Sat 02 Mar Sunderland 0 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
Sat 13 Oct Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 Sunderland Second Division
1961/1962 Sat 21 Apr Sunderland 3 - 0 Newcastle Utd. Second Division
Sat 02 Dec Newcastle Utd. 2 - 2 Sunderland Second Division
1957/1958 Sat 01 Feb Newcastle Utd. 2 - 2 Sunderland First Division
Sat 21 Sep Sunderland 2 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1956/1957 Sat 22 Dec Newcastle Utd. 6 - 2 Sunderland First Division
Sat 25 Aug Sunderland 1 - 2 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1955/1956 Sat 03 Mar Newcastle Utd. 0 - 2 Sunderland F.A. Cup
Tue 27 Dec Newcastle Utd. 3 - 1 Sunderland First Division
Mon 26 Dec Sunderland 1 - 6 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1954/1955 Sat 26 Feb Newcastle Utd. 1 - 2 Sunderland First Division
Sat 09 Oct Sunderland 4 - 2 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1953/1954 Sat 19 Dec Sunderland 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 22 Aug Newcastle Utd. 2 - 1 Sunderland First Division
1952/1953 Wed 17 Sep Sunderland 0 - 2 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Wed 10 Sep Newcastle Utd. 2 - 2 Sunderland First Division
1951/1952 Wed 26 Dec Newcastle Utd. 2 - 2 Sunderland First Division
Tue 25 Dec Sunderland 1 - 4 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1950/1951 Mon 26 Mar Sunderland 2 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Fri 23 Mar Newcastle Utd. 2 - 2 Sunderland First Division
1949/1950 Sat 04 Mar Sunderland 2 - 2 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 15 Oct Newcastle Utd. 2 - 2 Sunderland First Division
1948/1949 Sat 05 Mar Newcastle Utd. 2 - 1 Sunderland First Division
Sat 09 Oct Sunderland 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1933/1934 Sat 03 Mar Sunderland 2 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 21 Oct Newcastle Utd. 2 - 1 Sunderland First Division
1932/1933 Sat 08 Apr Newcastle Utd. 0 - 1 Sunderland First Division
Sat 26 Nov Sunderland 0 - 2 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1931/1932 Sat 09 Apr Newcastle Utd. 1 - 2 Sunderland First Division
Sat 28 Nov Sunderland 1 - 4 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1930/1931 Sat 28 Mar Newcastle Utd. 2 - 0 Sunderland First Division
Sat 22 Nov Sunderland 5 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1929/1930 Sat 22 Feb Newcastle Utd. 3 - 0 Sunderland First Division
Sat 19 Oct Sunderland 1 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1928/1929 Sat 09 Mar Newcastle Utd. 4 - 3 Sunderland First Division
Sat 27 Oct Sunderland 5 - 2 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1927/1928 Sat 17 Mar Sunderland 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 05 Nov Newcastle Utd. 3 - 1 Sunderland First Division
1926/1927 Sat 19 Mar Newcastle Utd. 1 - 0 Sunderland First Division
Sat 30 Oct Sunderland 2 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1925/1926 Sat 27 Feb Sunderland 2 - 2 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 17 Oct Newcastle Utd. 0 - 0 Sunderland First Division
1924/1925 Sat 21 Feb Newcastle Utd. 2 - 0 Sunderland First Division
Sat 18 Oct Sunderland 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1923/1924 Sat 22 Dec Newcastle Utd. 0 - 2 Sunderland First Division
Sat 15 Dec Sunderland 3 - 2 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1922/1923 Sat 11 Nov Sunderland 2 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 04 Nov Newcastle Utd. 2 - 1 Sunderland First Division
1921/1922 Sat 26 Nov Sunderland 0 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 19 Nov Newcastle Utd. 2 - 2 Sunderland First Division
1920/1921 Sat 16 Oct Sunderland 0 - 2 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 09 Oct Newcastle Utd. 6 - 1 Sunderland First Division
1919/1920 Sat 29 Nov Newcastle Utd. 2 - 3 Sunderland First Division
Sat 22 Nov Sunderland 2 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1914/1915 Sat 26 Dec Sunderland 2 - 4 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Fri 25 Dec Newcastle Utd. 2 - 5 Sunderland First Division
1913/1914 Sat 27 Dec Newcastle Utd. 2 - 1 Sunderland First Division
Sat 06 Sep Sunderland 1 - 2 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1912/1913 Mon 17 Mar Newcastle Utd. 0 - 3 Sunderland F.A. Cup
Wed 12 Mar Newcastle Utd. 2 - 2 Sunderland F.A. Cup
Sat 08 Mar Sunderland 0 - 0 Newcastle Utd. F.A. Cup
Sat 28 Dec Sunderland 2 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 07 Sep Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 Sunderland First Division
1911/1912 Sat 17 Feb Newcastle Utd. 3 - 1 Sunderland First Division
Sat 14 Oct Sunderland 1 - 2 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1910/1911 Sat 19 Nov Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 Sunderland First Division
Thu 01 Sep Sunderland 2 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1909/1910 Wed 13 Apr Newcastle Utd. 1 - 0 Sunderland First Division
Sat 18 Sep Sunderland 0 - 2 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1908/1909 Sat 10 Apr Sunderland 3 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Wed 10 Mar Sunderland 0 - 3 Newcastle Utd. F.A. Cup
Sat 06 Mar Newcastle Utd. 2 - 2 Sunderland F.A. Cup
Sat 05 Dec Newcastle Utd. 1 - 9 Sunderland First Division
1907/1908 Sat 18 Apr Newcastle Utd. 1 - 3 Sunderland First Division
Sat 21 Dec Sunderland 2 - 4 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1906/1907 Wed 20 Mar Sunderland 2 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 01 Sep Newcastle Utd. 4 - 2 Sunderland First Division
1905/1906 Sat 30 Dec Newcastle Utd. 1 - 1 Sunderland First Division
Sat 02 Sep Sunderland 3 - 2 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1904/1905 Sat 22 Apr Newcastle Utd. 1 - 3 Sunderland First Division
Sat 24 Dec Sunderland 3 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1903/1904 Fri 01 Jan Sunderland 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 26 Dec Newcastle Utd. 1 - 3 Sunderland First Division
1902/1903 Sat 25 Apr Newcastle Utd. 1 - 0 Sunderland First Division
Sat 27 Dec Sunderland 0 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1901/1902 Mon 31 Mar Sunderland 0 - 0 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Wed 12 Feb Newcastle Utd. 1 - 0 Sunderland F.A. Cup
Sat 28 Sep Newcastle Utd. 0 - 1 Sunderland First Division
1900/1901 Wed 24 Apr Newcastle Utd. 0 - 2 Sunderland First Division
Sat 06 Oct Sunderland 1 - 1 Newcastle Utd. First Division
1899/1900 Sat 28 Apr Sunderland 1 - 2 Newcastle Utd. First Division
Sat 23 Dec Newcastle Utd. 2 - 4 Sunderland First Division
1898/1899 Sat 22 Apr Newcastle Utd. 0 - 1 Sunderland First Division
Sat 24 Dec Sunderland 2 - 3 Newcastle Utd. First Division