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SUNDERLAND CONFIRM NEW ARRANGEMENTS AS NEWCASTLE HEAD BACK TO WEARSIDE

Sunderland confirms there are currently no plans for the Premier League's Wear-Tyne derby against Newcastle in December to be a 'bubble match', allowing away fans to arrange their own travel for now.

Sunderland confirm new arrangements as Newcastle head back to Wearside
Sunderland v Newcastle United - Stadium of Light, Sunderland, Britain - January 6, 2024 Newcastle United's Bruno Guimaraes in action with Sunderland's Alex Pritchard Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith

According to Sunderland, there are presently no preparations for the Wear-Tyne derby in the Premier League in December to be a bubble match.

The Wear-Tyne derby at the Stadium of Light in December is not currently scheduled to be a "bubble match," according to Sunderland.

Sunday, December 14's Premier League competitive matchup with Newcastle United will mark the teams' first competitive encounter since 2015. For the time being, away fans will be allowed to arrange their own travel, unlike during the FA Cup match in January of last year, when stringent travel restrictions forced Newcastle supporters to ride on official club transport under police supervision.

According to the minutes of the most recent Sunderland Supporter Collective meeting, "the forthcoming match against Newcastle United was discussed." Away fans will have the freedom to select their mode of transportation to the Stadium of Light, as AL indicated that there are currently no plans for the encounter to be a "bubble match." The stadium is working closely with the police and fan representatives to ensure that all supporters have a safe experience, but there are obstacles because the Stadium of Light's footprint has changed in recent months.

Though talks between the club, police, and supporter organisations will continue as planning moves forward, the update suggests a more flexible approach to derby-day logistics. There is a good potential that things might change before the game at the Stadium of Light.

One of the most storied and intense rivalries in English football is the Wear-Tyne derby, sometimes referred to as the North East or Wear-Tyne derby. The two teams, which are only 12 miles apart, first faced off in 1883. Five years later, Sunderland defeated Newcastle East End 2-0 in the FA Cup, marking their first competitive meeting.

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Since then, the North East rivals have played 157 competitive games against one another. Newcastle United leads the record with 54 victories to Sunderland's 53, with 50 draws (not including friendlies). The match in December is expected to rekindle one of the game's greatest historical rivalries, which has characterised North East football for over a century, now that both teams are back in the Premier League.

However, the rivalry's origins go far beyond football. Newcastle and Sunderland have a long history of animosity that began during the English Civil War, when Sunderland supported Parliament in response to disagreements over the trading advantages enjoyed by Royalist Newcastle merchants. During the 18th-century Jacobite uprisings, the division reappeared, with Sunderland supporting the Scottish Stuarts and Newcastle supporting the Hanoverian King George.

With both teams now back in the Premier League, the match in December promises to rekindle the passion, clamour, and intensity that characterise the North East derby. This centuries-old civic split has developed into one of the nation's most intense football rivalries.

VAR REVIEW: CHELSEA 2-2 BOURNEMOUTH, ESTêVãO PENALTY DRAMA EXPLAINED! WAS IT A FOUL OR A DIVE

Explaining the VAR: How an 11th-minute penalty check at Stamford Bridge saved a point for Chelsea against a resilient Bournemouth.

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Antoine Semenyo’s clumsy challenge handed Chelsea a vital lifeline

Every week, the Video Assistant Referee stirs up drama in the Premier League. Let's break down how these calls are made and if they're actually right.

This season, we're digging into the big moments to explain the VAR process and the rules of the game.

What went down: Chelsea's Estêvão was moving into the Bournemouth box, with Antoine Semenyo on his tail. Estêvão went down after some contact with Semenyo. The ref, Barrott, waved off Chelsea's penalty shouts, saying there wasn't a foul. He thought both players made contact naturally as they were running, and Estêvão basically tripped himself.

VAR said, "After looking at it, VAR Pawson suggested Barrott take another look at the monitor for a possible penalty because Semenyo might have tripped Estêvão."

VAR's take: Pawson had to figure out if the contact was just part of the play, like the ref thought, or if Semenyo fouled Estêvão. It was clear Estêvão tripped, but the question was how the contact started.

At first glance, it would be hard for Pawson to disagree with the ref because the main TV angle wasn't clear. But after checking out the sideline and behind views, Pawson saw that Semenyo stepped into Estêvão's path, making enough contact with his leg to cause him to trip.

Pawson told Barrott to check the monitor for a possible penalty. Barrott watched the replays, agreed, and gave Chelsea the penalty.

The call: It was a reasonable VAR call based on today's standards. But it's a borderline case.

Barrott seemed unsure of the monitor and needed some convincing from different angles.

A lot of the time, this kind of contact is just from players running normally, and someone goes down. To give a penalty, there really needs to be a clear foul by the defender. You could say that happened here, but it's a pretty low standard for VAR to get involved.

Chelsea 2-2 AFC Bournemouth

Referee: Sam Barrott

VAR: Craig Pawson

What: VAR check for a foul in the box

When: 11th minute

BREAKING: UNAI EMERY REVEALS THE REAL REASON BEHIND HIS COLD ARTETA HANDSHAKE SNUB NOW

Unai Emery explains why he skipped the post-match handshake as Arsenal’s 4-1 win ends Aston Villa’s 11-game streak at the Emirates.

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Emery snubs Arteta's handshake

Unai Emery said he didn't shake Mikel Arteta's hand right after Aston Villa lost at the Emirates Stadium since the Arsenal manager kept him waiting.

This loss stopped Villa's winning streak at 11 games, their first in almost two months.

Villa held their own in the first half, but Arsenal scored early in the second when Gabriel got to the ball before Emi Martinez on a corner.

Martin Zubimendi quickly made it 2-0, and Leandro Trossard scored a third goal a little after an hour had passed.

Soon after entering the pitch, Gabriel Jesus scored, making it 4-0. Ollie Watkins was able to respond by tapping in a goal late in the game after Donyell Malen's nice play.

After the game, Emery waited to shake Arteta's hand, but he went to the locker room since Arteta was still celebrating with his team.

It’s easy to see. I like to do things fast,” Emery said when asked about why he didn’t shake Arteta’s hand.

“I shake hands, then I go to the dressing room with my players and coaches. I was waiting.

“Arteta was busy with his coaches, so I went inside. It’s not a big deal for me.”

About the match, Emery commented, “We played great in the first half, and things were going our way. We had corners and defended well. We didn’t let them get a corner in the first half.

“We felt good, but we let in the first goal in the second half. Onana getting hurt didn’t help since he’s important for set pieces and in the midfield.

“We didn’t quit, and we kept playing hard. We scored one goal and almost scored more. Arsenal is the best team in the league and should win the title.

“I’m not sure which day it is since we’ve played Arsenal twice already, and we still have to play Nottingham. But I’m happy with our goals and how we're trying to attain them.

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