Eddie Howe conceded Newcastle United "have to really look at ourselves" following their "painful" 2-1 derby defeat by Tyne-Wear rivals Sunderland.

The Magpies suffered late heartbreak at St James' Park, where Brian Brobbey scored a 90th-minute winner for the visitors after Chemsdine Talbi had cancelled out Anthony Gordon's opener.

Newcastle have now failed to win any of their last 11 league meetings with Sunderland (D3 L8), the outright longest streak of any side in the history of the Tyne-Wear derby.

Meanwhile, Howe's side have dropped 22 points from winning positions in the Premier League this season, more than any other team

"Painful, tough afternoon for us," he said. "[It was a] positive start. I thought when we scored, we would go on and dominate, but we never capitalised on that momentum.

"The first half fizzed out and, in the second half, we were second-best. I didn't like our performance. Technically, we were poor. The defeat is harsh on us, but we didn't play well enough.

"I'm reluctant to use [our hectic fixture schedule] as an excuse. Logic would tell you yes, but we have to do better.

"We have to really look at ourselves and make sure we learn from all the mistakes we have made, and we made a few today. This has happened before, it isn't a one-off.

"We have some massive games to come. Week to week, we are able to train and get that freshness back. We have had to learn a lot. It's going to need a lot of character to respond. We never give up, we always go for what we can."

Regis Le Bris became the second Sunderland manager to win each of his first two league games against Newcastle, after Gus Poyet during the 2013-14 season.

THE MOMENT. pic.twitter.com/hlfpx53aRO

— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) March 22, 2026

The Black Cats are now unbeaten across their last six away league games against the Magpies (W4 D2), further extending their longest run on the road in this fixture’s history.

"[We won] through our identity," Le Bris said. "We didn't start well with an early mistake. We stayed composed, well-aligned with what we wanted to do.

"It's a tough place, they are intense with their crowd but the team reacted well. We were emotional at half-time because it matters, this game is important, and we didn't want to lose.

"We stayed together, pushed together and the second half was good for that. We suffered at times, but we enjoyed as well some opportunities, and played good football."

Timed at 89 minutes and 45 seconds, Brobbey scored the latest ever winning goal in a Premier League meeting between the sides.

"If you want to play these games, you need personality," skipper Granit Xhaka added. "We knew before the game what it means to come here to take something or to win. If you see the whole game, three points are deserved."