Alan Pardew insists Newcastle is still firmly in the race to qualify for the Champions League despite a shock 4-0 defeat at Wigan.

Entering Saturday's game on the back of six consecutive victories, and having not conceded a goal for 398 minutes, Newcastle saw goalkeeper Tim Krul beaten by two Victor Moses strikes and further efforts from Shaun Maloney and Franco Di Santo before halftime.

Next up for Newcastle is a tough game on Wednesday away to a Chelsea team preparing for the FA Cup final against Liverpool on Saturday and for a Champions League final against Bayern Munich next month.

But Pardew is confident Newcastle will bounce back and finish fourth, even though fifth-placed Tottenham will move above the Magpies on goal difference with a win over Blackburn on Sunday.

"I don't think you have any worries about that," he said. "Everyone looked at us and said if we won at Wigan, we had a great chance of Champions League but we had three tough games left.

"We've lost at Wigan now so those three games could mean something else.

"There was no intensity here but there will be on Wednesday night. It is going to be a tough game, bearing in mind they have the FA Cup final on Saturday, but Champions League is not away from us by any stretch of the imagination."

In truth, with the Chelsea match being followed by a home game against title-chasing Manchester City, the stunning loss at Wigan may yet prove the difference between Newcastle playing in the Champions League season and not.

Chelsea, by reaching the Champions League final, has further clouded the issue as, should it beat Bayern, fourth place in the Premier League will not carry with it a place in the competition next season.

Finishing third in the league, behind the two Manchester clubs, is the only way Newcastle could be completely certain of qualification but the loss to Wigan has reduced the chances of that happening.

Pardew, however, has no concerns that a memorable season in the top flight is about to fizzle out.

Asked if he planned wholesale changes for the visit to Stamford Bridge after such a woeful display, Pardew was quick to back his players.

"No. I didn't see any problems from any of my players," Pardew said.

"We failed as a team, not as individuals. It will be important that we go to Chelsea on Wednesday with a real away-game mentality, which we didn't have today.

"Sometimes, when you have won six on the trot, you can go away and think, 'We're going to win today'. That result will put shock into the players, more than the management, and I expect a reaction from them on Wednesday."

Wigan, having collected 15 points from the last available 21, is three points above the relegation zone and has now beaten three of the division's top four teams during that period - Newcastle suffering the same fate as Arsenal and Manchester United.