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With Boro in the heady heights of the top six, even ahead on Manchester United, we need to look way down the table to find our north-east rivals occupying 18th and 19th position.
It's certainly a change from last season, at a similar stage it was Boro who were propping up the league with both the Geordies and the Mackems in the top six.
After being in fourth place on Tuesday night it was expected that Boro would drop back into mid-table but defeats for Charlton, Blackburn, Everton and more significantly Manchester United meant that Boro remained in the top six.
And at the bottom victories for West Brom, Bolton and Southampton plunged the Mags and the Black Cats into the relegation zone.
Newcastle will no doubt recover from this early blip and climb the league but after Tuesday's performance at the Riverside i'm not sure if Sunderland are capable.
In free-fall towards the end of last season, the Mackems survived a nervy last day of the season by taking a point off Derby at the Stadium of Shite. They have not started this campaign well and Monkey Heed could become the first managerial casualty of the season if it continues.