Newcastle United boss Alan Pardew has said that his team were "clinical" in front of goal after Stoke City were reduced to nine men at St James' Park yesterday afternoon.

The Magpies ran out 5-1 winners in front of a delighted home crowd on Boxing Day, which sees them further close on the pack leading the charge for Champions League qualification.

However, they had to come from behind after Oussama Assaidi had given Mark Hughes's side the lead, and were helped by red cards to Glenn Whelan and Marc Wilson.

"The team wasn't quite working as I'd liked, and I was looking to change it at half-time," Pardew told Sky Sports News. "We were as clinical as you could be in the second half. We've got a lot of attacking options, which was nice.

"The sending-offs changed it. [Whelan] gets sent off for two silly incidents, and I don't think he has much to complain about. Then they're down to nine and really struggling, and we were clinical after that."

Arsenal visit the North-East on Sunday.