Both side are channelling play down their left flank in attack.

Sammy Ameobi has been busy for the Toon with Adam Johnson seeing plenty of the ball for the visitors.

On an individual basis, Newcastle's Cheick Tiote is out on his own in terms of the fouling stats.

He has racked up five in the first half, with Sunderland pair Lee Cattermole and Sebastian Coates lagging on a paltry two.

In the absence of any goals, let's tot up the disciplinary misdemeanours.

Fouls: Newcastle 10-7 Sunderland, Yellow cards: Newcastle 3-2 Sunderland.

First to a red loses?

It might be whichever team can keep a full complement on the pitch, who finishes with the three points.

Guy Mowbray
BBC Match of the Day commentator

"No goals but very, very lively as you'd expect. Steven Fletcher came closest to scoring by hitting the woodwork while Wickham came close on one or two occasions. One or two will have to be careful in the second half as they are on yellow cards."

Image source, Getty Images

Chris, Liverpool: Think the refs been excellent, firm and fair which is exactly what the derby needs. A yellow is a yellow.

James, Belfast: This Derby match is one of the best derbies in the world for passion

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Image source, AP

"Feisty", "combative", "physical". Choose whichever adjective you want, it was a typical derby dust-up in the first 45.

Cliff B: Soccer seems to have a different definition to the term "contact sport" as actual contact sports...

Neil Smith: Has Gouffran done anything yet? How he starts before Cabella makes no sense to me when u pay so much for him

Mark Taylor: If Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney and Radamel Falcao are watching this Newcastle defence they must be salivating. They resemble a mobile colander

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Two minutes of injury-time at the end of the first half.

Jack Colback is teetering on the edge.

The Newcastle midfielder, already on yellow, bundles into Sebastian Larsson in a very deliberate attempt to stop him crossing from the left.

He trots away from the scene of the crime and is lucky to be called back by referee Anthony Taylor.

Taylor should be on overtime for this one.

Image source, PA

Connor Wickham's heft is causing the Newcastle defence some bother. The Sunderland striker buys himself some space on the edge of the box with some muscular play, but his shot is a bobbler wide.

Image source, PA

"Get at Alnwick". I think we can safely presume that was one of the points on Gus Poyet's tactical flipchart.

Sunderland striker Connor Wickham takes the chance to barge into the Newcastle keeper as he chases a lost cause. Referee Anthony Taylor produces the game's fifth yellow in response.

Steve Harper
Hull City goalkeeper on BBC Radio 5 live

"Sunderland should be ahead. Wickham cant believe he hasn't scored with the header from the corner. For all Newcastle had a good start in the first 15 minutes they have a problem now as both of their central midfielders have been booked giving Sunderland the freedom to play in there."

Connor Wickham, picked out by a fine cross from Santiago Vergini, nods a tame header straight at Jak Alnwick. He should have made the Newcastle goalkeeper work harder for his money there.

Image source, Reuters

Ayoze Perez comes to life for Newcastle, rattling in a punchy effort from 25 yards that the giant frame of Costel Pantilimon just about had covered, before forcing a good sliding tackle out of Sebastian Coates as he runs at the Sunderland defence.

He is a lively presence.

Everton boss Roberto Martinez is in the stands and joins in another round of applause on the 33rd minute to mark the £33,000 raised by Sunderland fans for the victims of MH17.

Sunderland have stationed Wes Brown to stand on Jak Alnwick's toes at set-pieces and it is working as a tactic.

The Newcastle goalkeeper is getting agitated with the Sunderland defender's presence.

Chris Goodall: Awful miss from Wickham, it's no wonder Sunderland are in trouble with finishing like that

Kyle Wilson: This referee needs to go to specsavers, really poor calls for the majority of the match so far, questions need to be asked here

Phil Jenkins: How can people say ref had lost his head. Foul is a foul regardless of 1st min or last. Cattermole and Tiote to see red for sure

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Image source, Getty Images

Sunderland are the more threatening side at the moment. Jak Alnwick has to get down sharply at his near post to push away Connor Wickham's 20-yarder. The Newcastle goalkeeper has been shaky and has only just got enough on the ball to see it wide.

Jack Colback has his name taken and it is the worst challenge of the game so far, amid some fierce competition.

The Newcastle midfielder, long-time of Sunderland, hacks a chunk out of Jordi Gomez's shin to see yellow and is then rabbiting at Lee Cattermole.

Temperature rising.

Image source, AP

What a ball! Sebastian Larsson's curling lobbed through-ball cuts apart the Newcastle defence and drops perfectly for Steven Fletcher on the stretch. The Scotland international can't quite keep his volley down though, his effort beating Jak Alnwick but not the crossbar.