Anthony Gordon has caused a stir by claiming that rivals Sunderland are "not a very good team" compared to Newcastle, following the Magpies' disappointing derby defeat at St James' Park. Despite scoring the opener, Gordon was powerless as the Black Cats staged a second-half comeback to secure a 2-1 victory and a league double over Eddie Howe's side. Despite a dominant first-half display where Gordon found the net, the Magpies collapsed after the interval, allowing Chemsdine Talbi and Brian Brobbey to turn the game on its head. The loss is particularly damaging as it sees Regis le Bris' side leapfrog Newcastle into 11th place in the Premier League table. Compounding the misery for Newcastle boss Howe, defender Sven Botman was forced to undergo surgery on a facial fracture sustained during the match, though he is expected back before the season concludes.Speaking to club media, Gordon did not hold back in his assessment of the opposition, stating: "The frustrating thing is, in my opinion, they're not a very good team compared to us. We shouldn't lose to them. Away is obviously more difficult because they have the fans, the atmosphere and a bit more pressure, but at home we should not lose that game. Not with the first half that we had, but again we haven't been good enough starting second halves and it's an ongoing problem."It was not good enough really, no excuses. We were good for 45 minutes, which has been the case too often this season — we actually knew going into the game and had been trying to work on it. It was a not good enough start to the second half and they were the better team second half."While Gordon’s comments suggest a significant gulf in class, the underlying performance metrics provided by Opta tell a more complex story of the Tyne-Wear rivalry. Despite Newcastle boasting a vastly superior expected goals (xG) tally of 46.7 compared to Sunderland’s 30.3, the Magpies continue to struggle with clinical execution and defensive discipline. Data reveals that Howe’s side have dropped a staggering 22 points from winning positions this season, whereas Sunderland have proven their resilience by gaining 19 points from losing positions.Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reportingNewcastle must now regroup during the international break to address a defensive unit missing the leadership of Botman before embarking on a challenging run of Premier League fixtures. Howe faces mounting pressure to solve the second-half problem highlighted by Gordon as the Magpies resume their league campaign at Crystal Palace on April 12, followed by a home clash against Bournemouth on April 18. Their resolve will be further tested by a daunting trip to face leaders Arsenal on April 25, a sequence that will likely determine whether Newcastle can salvage their fading hopes of securing European football.