Alan Pardew remains convinced <strong>Newcastle United</strong> will return to form in the English Premier League despite a fourth consecutive league defeat. Newcastle have so far failed to build on last season's impressive fifth place finish and sit in 14th, just two points above the bottom three. <strong>Stoke</strong> added to Pardew's recent woes after late goals from Jon Walters and Cameron Jerome gave Tony Pulis' men a 2-1 win at the Britannia Stadium. Papiss Cisse put the Magpies in front just after the break but Walters flicked home an equaliser nine minutes from time and four minutes later Jerome struck the winner after Kenwyne Jones' nod down in the box. "The improvement from Sunday was immense and we deserved something," Pardew said afterwards. "I thought we were the better side. I thought we could have had a penalty at 1-0 but two sucker punches have cost us. It's galling because we're on this run and we're having setback after setback and I feel sorry for the players. That team won't go far short if we play like that." Marouane Fellaini returned from suspension to grab a point for <strong>Everton</strong> in an entertaining 1-1 draw with <strong>Arsenal</strong> at Goodison Park. Arsene Wenger's side made a dream start with Theo Walcott putting them in front inside the opening minute when he combined with Jack Wilshere in the box and hit a shot which deflected into the net off Tony Hibbert. But David Moyes' men equalised just before the half-hour when a mistake by Bacary Sagna on the edge of the box allowed Fellaini to curl the ball into the bottom corner. Wojciech Szczesny pulled off a brilliant save to deny Sylvain Distin late on. Everton suffered a blow when Leighton Baines suffered a hamstring injury which could rule him out of the weekend trip to Manchester City, while Wenger was pleased to leave Goodison Park with a point. "It was a game of big physical intensity, we had a good start and after that I felt Everton came back into it and their direct game was always a threat," he said. "There are regrets on the goal we conceded but 1-1 is a fair result and it is a good point here. "We needed to show great spirit to get away with a point and I am pleased with the effort they put into the game." <strong>Southampton</strong>'s recent revival took a minor stumble as they were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw at home to <strong>Norwich</strong> in a game which saw the return to top-flight refereeing of Mark Clattenburg. Rickie Lambert poked home from close range in the 32nd minute but Robert Snodgrass equalised on the stroke of half-time when his free kick squeezed under Saints keeper Paulo Gazzaniga. <strong>West Brom</strong>'s run of four successive victories was brought an abrupt end in a 3-1 defeat at <strong>Swansea</strong>. Michu hit his eighth goal of the season in the ninth minute and Wayne Routledge added further goals in the 11th and 39th before Romelu Lukaku replied for the Baggies just before the break. Steve Clarke had no complaints about the result after watching his West Brom side come well short in their bid to secure a fifth-straight top-flight win for the first time in 34 years "We started so slowly it was incredible, you wouldn't believe it," he said. "We know Swansea are a fantastic team and they play good football and we knew they would cause us problems, but I did not expect so many problems so early and when you are chasing the game it is going to be difficult. "We have had a really good season, played really well. We came into the game confident, with more or less the same players and system, but that's football, it happens." Follow us
