Newcastle United midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa has revealed that there is now a sense of relief around the club following their first win of the season.

The Magpies got off the mark in the Premier League on Saturday as Ben Arfa came off the bench to score the decisive goal in a 1-0 victory over Fulham.

"Now we have two weeks and we can work very hard, with confidence, with serenity," the 26-year-old told the club's official website.

"If we had drawn 0-0, I think we'd have not been sleeping because it would have been very frustrating, but everybody in Newcastle is very happy because everybody waited for a win - and we won."

Newcastle are back in Premier League action after the international break when they travel to Aston Villa on September 14.