The Black Cats Stage Iconic Magpies Team Photo After Crucial Local Rivalry Victory.

An altered coaching staff and a largely changed squad – but the club at Sunderland remembered vividly.

Almost 24 months prior, after a dominant Newcastle performance at the Stadium of Light in an FA Cup tie, the Geordies celebrated with a team picture on the pitch.

Now, the roles were turned on their head.

Nick Woltemade's mistake proved enough to give Sunderland a long-awaited win over their rivals in the first Premier League Tyne-Wear derby since 2016 – prompting the hosts to recreate Newcastle's celebratory snapshot at full-time.

“Always unpredictable, creative, adaptive,” said with a grin Black Cats manager Regis le Bris when questioned about who came up with the gesture.

Defender Dan Ballard, who scored an own goal in that previous encounter, was the sole Sunderland player to be in the starting XI in each of the games.

He explained how he was determined to avenge the loss, stating: “You cannot describe [the feeling]. It was agonizing for the players and for the fans. We felt we had let them down, so we're ecstatic with this win.”

“It prepared us more for today. We came in with more quality in this team, true characters, we stuck in there, fought really hard and I thought we deserved the win.”

‘Derbies you have to win, it does not matter how’

Seventh-placed Sunderland are enjoying a superb return to the top flight following promotion via the play-offs last season.

The Black Cats have 26 points in 16 games, their best return at this stage of a Premier League campaign since 2000-01.

They are still unbeaten in the league at the Stadium of Light, which had an electric atmosphere for most of Sunday afternoon.

“In local rivalry matches, the result is everything, the performance secondary,” said captain Granit Xhaka. “This team is worthy of more respect – where we are in the league is incredible and we're working really hard.”

Sunderland are also without a loss in their last 10 league games against Newcastle, their best-ever streak without defeat against the Magpies.

Newcastle's last league win over Sunderland was all the way back in 2011.

Manager Regis le Bris said he was “extremely pleased” with the performance.

“It was a derby and we were expected [to win] of our fans,” he stated. “This win is fully merited, we were disciplined and the lads were superb.”

“It's fantastic for the region, the club, the fans. We knew before it was a huge game, but we have to reset quickly as we have another difficult test in Brighton in one week.”