Newcastle boss, Alan Pardew

Newcastle boss, Alan Pardew accepts Champions League qualification will be a tall order after going down 2-0 at home to Manchester City.

The Magpies went blow for blow with Roberto Mancini's title-chasers but were undone by a brace from powerhouse midfielder, Yaya Toure in the last 20 minutes.

Rivals Arsenal and Tottenham both dropped points this weekend with draws against Norwich and Aston Villa, and Pardew is remaining pragmatic.

"If I was Arsenal, they only need a point to finish in a Champions League position, but actually they need to win because fourth place is not guaranteed, of course, with Chelsea (facing Bayern Munich in the Champions League final later this month).

"They have got to win, really, in case Spurs finish above them, so that could be significant.

"For our part, there's a simple equation: we have to win at Everton, which might not be enough, but that's what we need to do."