Newcastle United 'training exercise' claim as Kieran Trippier responds to Sunderland chants

Two second-half goals from Alexander Isak and a first-half own goal proved the difference as Newcastle United took derby day bragging rights with a 3-0 win over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

As well as that, the win also took them through to round four of the FA Cup, keeping faint trophy hopes alive for another season.

But where was the match won and lost - and what were the main talking points? Here's five takeaways from the encounter on Wearside.

Levels to this game - and it showed

No one really knew how this one would play out. How much the derby day atmosphere would counter Newcastle's Premier League quality, or whether form, of which United have none, would factor.

In the end, this very much looked like a Championship side toiling against Champions League rivals. For much of the encounter, bar the odd moment, it resembled a training exercise for the Magpies.

Many will say, 'so it should', but Newcastle still had to raise their levels from recent weeks - and they definitely did that.

The Howe pressure release

Defeats breeds pressure, it's inevitable, football is a results business. And this one was much-needed for head coach Eddie Howe.

While only a minuscule minority were even considering his position among the Geordie faithful, most were fair in their constructive criticism of what they've seen in recent weeks. And while internal pressure was not evident, and Howe had fans and player backing, the external stuff still bites - and you'd imagine it impacted Howe, too.

This result buys a little time and respite from that cauldron.

'F------g hit him'

Sunderland's only hope was to turn this game into a battle. They tried, but even with this game seen as a free hit, they couldn't lay a glove on the Magpies.

This approach was summed up to a T in the second period. On 66 minutes, Luke O'Nien flew into Anthony Gordon. The stadium roared, arms raised, applause. Screams of 'f-----g hit him' from some of the incensed locals. That's all they had.

Isak writes himself into derby day folklore

It was two, so very nearly three. Had Dan Ballard not turned into his own net, Alexander Isak could've been toasting a Stadium of Light hattrick.

Two is enough, though, the second celebrated with cupped ears, seeing the silky Swede write his name firmly in the history books.

His derby day double will remembered by all that seen it. And who knows, it might be the last goals scored against the Black Cats by Newcastle for quite some time.

Trippier answers his critics

Sunderland fans took great delight in firing their bizarrely constructed jibes at United skipper for the day Kieran Trippier. But he took even more pleasure in answering them - and had the last laugh after gesturing to the scoreboard at 2-0.

He's not been his best, by his own admission, but given he's pocketed Kylian Mbappe and Rafael Leao this season, we really shouldn't question whether Jack Clarke would cause issues.

In an attacking sense, too, he was top class. Long may it continue.