Alan Pardew questions team selection after 4-1 loss to Arsenal

Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew has admitted that he must look at his team selection after their 4-1 defeat away at Arsenal.

Two goals each from Olivier Giroud and Santi Cazorla saw the Gunners comfortably beat the Magpies to move three points above them in the Premier League table.

Pardew admits that Arsenal played well, but criticised how his side coped without midfielder Moussa Sissioko, who missed the game through suspension.

He told BBC Sport: "We play a lot better than that usually. We missed Sissoko and I must look at myself in terms of selection of the team. We need to cope without him because he's not going to play every week.

"We tried to be ambitious and if that's a fault we have to accept that."

Newcastle next face Tottenham Hotspur in the Capital One Cup quarter-final at White Hart Lane on Wednesday.