Alan Pardew believes that Newcastle United can improve in the second half of the season and pick up a number of wins against the Premier League's title challengers.

The Magpies have already beaten Chelsea and Manchester United this term, but lost 1-0 to leaders Arsenal at St James' Park on Sunday to slip into eighth position, four points adrift of the top four.

"It's not like I feel we have gone and reached something that's beyond us," Pardew told reporters. "I think 33 points is a fair reflection of how we have played, and we need to try to improve on that in the second half.

"I think we can. But the margins are so fine. It's not like we have come up against the top teams, played well and lost all of them. Obviously, we have beaten Chelsea, we have beaten Manchester United and they were as tight as [Sunday's] affair.

"We have just come out the wrong side, and if we can stay like that against the top teams all year, I will be relatively happy because I think we will win three or four of them."

Newcastle travel to face West Bromwich Albion on New Year's Day.