As far as 5-1 home wins go, Newcastle's demolition of Stoke is one of the luckiest you will ever witness. After Oussama Assaidi gave Stoke a deserved first-half lead, Alan Pardew's side looked like they had eaten too much Christmas dinner, with even the addition of Hatem Ben Arfa to the starting XI unable to inject some festive magic into their play. What followed was the footballing equivalent of a long-lost much-loved relative waking everyone from their turkey-induced coma and showering the room with expensive treats and champagne - an impromptu celebration. In this context, referee Martin Atkinson and his assistants were the gift-givers. Both Stoke's red cards were decidedly harsh, and even Loic Remy's subsequent missed penalty did not cause many alarms, given the numerical advantage enjoyed by the home side at this point. As if that wasn't enough, Newcastle's second goal should not have stood, as Hatem Ben Arfa failed to stop the whole ball from crossing the line before delivering the ball. It was a hard call to make, but proof that even goal-line technology may not be the magic bullet previously envisioned - byline technology anyone? That was hardly a pivotal point in the game however, as the second half was always going to be an exhibition affair. Newcastle's biggest league win under Pardew was never in doubt, and the margin could have been even greater, with two good penalty shouts turned down, and Ben Arfa thrice hitting the woodwork. Best of all though, was the fifth, as Remy passed up the chance for a confidence-boosting hat-trick to give Cisse the opportunity to power home his first league goal since April from the spot. They will need every ounce of saved energy against table-topping Arsenal.
I am from Bangor, aged 24, and possess an MA in Journalism from The University Of Ulster. I have had work published in the Belfast Telegraph and interviewed several local footballers and Olympic athletes. I also run my own sports blog, 'Sporting Thought' in addition to contributing to What Culture.
