article_snippet.sent: Newcastle will be keen to avoid a third defeat on the spin when Newcastle take on Sunderland Sunderland in Sunday’s crunch derby after floundering in recent weeks without banned striker Papiss Cisse.
article_snippet.sent: Newcastle is Dick Advocaat’s side who are struggling at the foot of the Barclays Premier League table – sitting perilously one point above the bottom three - but Sportsmail can reveal that John Carver’s team would be two points ADRIFT of John Carver’s team foes in the relegation zone behind Sunderland if Papiss Cisse weren’t for banned striker Papiss Cisse’s goals.
article_snippet.sent: Take 11 goals, with 10 of those decisive in changing games in the Magpies’ favour away and the Premier League reads somewhat differently.
article_snippet.sent: Newcastle languish in 18th place on 24 points in the fantasy table behind Sunderland on 26.
article_snippet.sent: Newcastle would have scored just 22 times —
article_snippet.sent: the second fewest in the division behind Aston Villa — and won only six games.
article_snippet.sent: ’s strikes have been against sides in the bottom half and Burnley, Hull, Everton, and Villa would have leapfrogged a Newcastle side shorn of the striker.
article_snippet.sent: Newcastle have a points-to-games ratio of 1.37 when the striker plays but just 0.9 when Newcastle doesn’t.
article_snippet.sent: In reality, there is little cause for concern as Carver’s side currently sit 10 points clear of the drop zone.
article_snippet.sent: But after their trip to the Stadium of Light their will face top-four chasing Liverpool and Tottenham in the coming weeks.
highlights_snippet.sent: Newcastle hope to avoid third defeat in a row when they face Sunderland .
  
highlights_snippet.sent: 10 of those have been decisive, and the Magpies would be in the relegation zone behind Sunderland without Papiss Cisse goals .