Don’t be fooled by Cabella’s sorcery and get behind Sunderland

Although Newcastle gave Premier League champions Manchester City a decent run for their money, the lack of a deadly striker cost them dear once more on day one of the Premier League.

Remy Cabella, meanwhile, must have completed a record amount of stepovers for a top-flight debutant, but the net alluded him.

Cabella’s fellow newbie Siem de Jong and serial under-performer Papiss Cisse may have been sidelined, but neither man’s previous seasonal tallies look like getting near the 14 that on-loan top scorer Loic Remy bagged last year.

Remy’s compatriot Emmanuel Riviere may prove to be a worthy replacement in time also.

However, first impressions against City and a modest scoring record at Monaco suggest that’s going to be a tough ask too.

Another Frenchman, Cabella, did get the St James’ Park crowd to its feet with his dazzling trickery and the former Montpellier midfielder looks like he’ll prove to be a great signing – especially if he can get close to 14-goal mark he reached in France last season.

If we’re talking about who will finish higher out of the new-look Magpies and fierce rivals Sunderland though, it’s the far more understated Black Cats who should get the vote at princely odds of 13/5 over Newcastle’s measly price of 10/11.

A draw at fancied strugglers West Brom is not the most mystic of crystal balls so early in the season, though Connor Wickham and Steven Fletcher look a strike force far more capable of firing the Mackems past the Magpies.

If Fletcher – a double-figures Premier League scorer in three separate seasons previously – can stay fit and Wickham can fulfil the potential he showed on-loan and back on Wearside en route to 15 goals last term then Gus Poyet’s men look set fair.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.

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