Deulofeu makes stunning Everton debut, Fulham crumble at West Ham, Newcastle fifth

SPANIARD Gerard Deulofeu stars on starting debut as Everton thump Stoke, Newcastle fifth, Fulham slump at West Ham.

GERARD Deulofeu enjoyed a memorable first Premier League start for Everton as the on-loan Barcelona teenager inspired a 4-0 rout of Stoke on Saturday.

Deulofeu is a graduate of Barca's La Masia academy and he showed enough potential at Goodison Park to suggest he could be the latest star to emerge from the Spanish club's production line.

The 19-year-old forward, who had already impressed in eight league substitute appearances for the Toffees, scored his second goal for Everton, and his first in the top-flight, with a first half strike that opened the floodgates for Roberto Martinez's team.

Seamus Coleman, Bryan Oviedo and on-loan Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku all netted in the second half as Everton climbed to fourth in the table ahead of Sunday's fixtures.

News_Rich_Media: All the goals from the 6 Saturday matches in the EPL.

Deulofeu's potential, having scored 18 goals in 34 games for Barcelona B last season and with five first-team appearances under his belt, was never in question but his ability to adapt to English football was his manager's primary concern.

The first-half focus was almost entirely on the Barca prodigy, who fittingly produced the first and last action of the opening 45 minutes with plenty of contributions in between.

Having seen an early low free-kick parried by Stoke goalkeeper Asmir Begovic, Deulofeu's angled shot was also denied at the near post.

News_Rich_Media: Aaron Ramsey enjoyed a successful return to his old club with a brace in a 3-0 Arsenal win at Cardiff. Meanwhile, Everton also poured on the goals with a 4-0 thrashing of a hapless Stoke.

Begovic produced a brilliant double save to stop Leon Osman's deflected shot and Lukaku's close-range follow-up either side of another two angled efforts from Deulofeu, before Lukaku headed wide from Oviedo's cross.

Just as it appeared Everton's dominance would go unrewarded Deulofeu struck, cutting in from the left and getting the ball back via Osman and Gareth Barry to finally beat Begovic with just seconds in the half remaining.

Four minutes after the break right-back Coleman made it 2-0 when his mis-hit shot looped past Begovic, Oviedo added the third in the 58th minute as Everton pressed home their advantage, before turning provider with the cross for Lukaku to score his eighth league goal of the season from close range.

Lukaku was immediately replaced by Nikica Jelavic, who has scored just one league goal since December 9, and the Croatian's lack of confidence showed as with only Begovic to beat he bundled a shot straight at the goalkeeper in the 89th minute.

WEST Ham eased away from the relegation zone on Saturday and put Martin Jol's job as Fulham manager in jeopardy with a comfortable 3-0 win at Upton Park.

Second-half goals from Mohamed Diame as well as substitutes Carlton Cole and Joe Cole did the damage for Sam Allardyce's men who move three points above the drop zone.

Fulham meanwhile remain entrenched in the bottom three and with Jol suffering his ninth defeat in 13 matches, it will be debatable whether he will keep his position after another shocking display from the Cottagers.

News_Image_File: West Ham United's Carlton Cole celebrates a West Ham goal.

West Ham broke a scoreless deadlock two minutes after half-time when French-born Senegalese international Diame let fly with a shot from outside the box that was cruelly deflected past Fulham's Dutch 'keeper Martin Stekelenburg.

Fulham midfielder Steve Sidwell was caught in possession in midfield while Jol will feel aggrieved that play wasn't stopped with Scott Parker down injured.

It was the first goal of the season for the 26-year-old Diame who arrived at Upton Park in 2012 after three seasons with Wigan and a prior spell in Spain with Rayo Vallecano.

After Ravel Morrison should have put West Ham further in front when he missed an open goal, his fellow substitute Carlton Cole showed the way with his seventh goal against Fulham.

He swept home Stuart Downing's cross with eight minutes remaining as the match slipped away from the Craven Cottage outfit.

His namesake Joe Cole then put the result well beyond doubt six minutes later after excellent work from the impressive Morrison as Allardyce saw two of his three substitutes get onto the scoresheet.

News_Image_File: Time is running out for Martin Jol at Fulham.

Fulham's dismal record playing London derbies away from home worsens, having now won just six times in 57 matches, including 32 defeats.

Fulham withstood a first half onslaught and went in at the break 0-0 after Modibo Maiga came closest for the home side when he crashed his header against the post following a Mark Noble free-kick from the right wing.

News_Rich_Media: Newcastle V West Brom: Match Highlights.

MOUSSA Sissoko scored a spectacular goal to give Newcastle United a 2-1 win over West Bromwich Albion on Saturday that catapulted them to fifth place in the Premier League.

The France international midfielder rippled the West Brom net with a soaring long-range drive in the 57th minute, after Yoan Gouffran's opener had been cancelled out by visiting skipper Chris Brunt.

Sissoko's strike gave Newcastle a fourth consecutive league victory and left Alan Pardew's side a point behind second-place Liverpool and third-place Chelsea, both of whom play on Sunday, and fourth-place Everton.

West Brom fall to 12th, meanwhile, and have now won just once in eight league fixtures, having previously let a 2-0 lead slip in a 2-2 draw at home to Aston Villa on Monday.

News_Image_File: Newcastle United's French midfielder Moussa Sissoko enjoys a goal.

TONY Pulis's debut as Crystal Palace manager ended in disappointment on Saturday after his side lost 1-0 at Norwich City and slipped to the bottom of the Premier League.

Pulis was taking charge of the London club for the first time since succeeding Ian Holloway on a two-and-a-half-year contract, and he saw his team beaten by a 30th-minute strike from Gary Hooper.

It was Palace's first defeat in three games and saw them slide below Sunderland to the bottom of the table, six points from safety after 13 games of the season.

In contrast, Chris Hughton's Norwich are now four points clear of the relegation places, having claimed only their second victory in seven league games.

News_Rich_Media: Norwich V Crystal Palace: Match Highlights.

The hosts made the breakthrough in the 30th minute, with Elmander helping Redmond's right-wing cutback into the box and Hoolahan steering the ball back across the face of goal for former Celtic striker Hooper to tuck home.

Palace responded impressively but goal line technology came into play again to deny them an immediate equaliser after confirming that Olsson had brilliantly diverted a shot from Barry Bannan up onto the bar with his head when standing on the line.

Pulis's new charges continued to press in the second period but the closest they came to an equaliser was when Bassong sliced a low cross from Dean Moxey narrowly over his own crossbar.

News_Rich_Media: Aston Villa V Sunderland: Match Highlights.

ASTON Villa shared the points with struggling Sunderland in a terse 0-0 Premier League draw at Villa Park on Saturday.

Not even the presence of Villa fan Prince William, wearing a club scarf and coat as he watched from owner Randy Lerner's executive box, could inspire the hosts to match the 6-1 showing in the corresponding fixture last season.

Sunderland's Emanuele Giaccherini missed a glaring chance and Fabio Borini hit the bar, but the point was sufficient to take Gus Poyet's side off the bottom at Crystal Palace's expense.

The Black Cats had come closest to all three points as they chased their first away win of the season, but had to settle for their first away point since late August.