Mason Holgate believes he is in the perfect place to step up to the Premier League plate after making his first appearance in more than two months against Manchester United.

The Everton full-back has had to bide his time this season, with Leighton Baines and Seamus Coleman maintaining a tight grip on the wide positions.

But with Coleman picking up a knock in Sunday’s draw, Holgate – also an able centre-back – came to the fore as Baines’ penalty rescued a point.

It was a first top-flight game since August for the 20-year-old, continually on the fringes of Ronald Koeman’s first team, relieved to finally get his opportunity despite the fortunate circumstances.

“I’ve been waiting and wanting to get back playing again,” he said.

(Photo by Boris Streubel/Bongarts/Getty Images)

“It wasn’t as daunting (as you might think) because I played them in the testimonial in pre-season at Old Trafford. I must have a thing for playing against Man United.

“When I came on we were pushing for the equaliser. The game was open and stretched and a bit back and forward but I thought we did well and we got on top in the second half and were pushing on. We got the equaliser and were pushing for more.

“There wasn’t time for nerves because of how quickly it happened. I know I am ready to go at that level – it’s not something I haven’t done before. Once I go on I know that if I can play my game, I can do it.”

Sunderland striker Jermain Defoe believes he may never get another England call-up, even if he finishes this season as the Premier League’s top scorer.

The 34-year-old frontman has netted eight league goals so far this campaign, more than any other English striker, behind Chelsea’s Diego Costa and Alexis Sanchez of Arsenal, both on 11, and Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero on 10.

Only Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane and Aguero have scored more times in 2016 than Defoe, who last played for the national team as a second-half substitute against Chile in 2013.

He has won 55 caps for England, scoring 19 goals, his last being a brace against San Marino, also in 2013.

(Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

And the striker said he has not heard from Gareth Southgate, who was confirmed as permanent England manager this week.

“Whatever I do, I never give up,” Defoe said. “People come up to me and say ‘why are you not in the England squad?’ and I never know what to say.

“When I was in the England squad, I was in on merit, I was scoring goals and playing well.

“It’s not that I’ve given up, but it gets to a point when I think it almost doesn’t matter what I do.

“Even if I get the golden boot I don’t think I’d get called up.”

Nolito insists he does not spend his time on the bench down in the dumps after praising Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola’s rotation of the first-team squad.

The Spanish international arrived at the Etihad Stadium in the summer when the club activated his £13.8m release clause at Celta Vigo.

The 30-year-old has scored five goals for his new club this season, the same number as Ilkay Gundogan, Kelechi Iheanacho and Raheem Sterling.

All four trail star striker Sergio Aguero, who has banged in 16 goals already this term, but the stat does demonstrate the Guardiola’s tendency to mix up his starting XI.

(Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

And while Nolito would like to have more minutes under his belt at City, he understands what his new manager is doing.

“I am very happy here,” he said.

“When I arrived to City I knew it would be difficult to play with such good players in the squad but the manager is giving chances to everyone, is rotating the team, and I’m happy.

“From a selfish point of view I obviously would like to play every minute, but I think no one can play everything because both the Premier League and the Champions League are very demanding.

“Rotations are needed and Pep is managing that very well.”

Granit Xhaka has taken a while to warm up at Arsenal, but admitted the club is beginning to feel like home after making a return to where his career started on Tuesday.

The midfielder, signed for £30m over the summer, has yet to cement a regular first-team place with the Gunners after finding himself rotated in and out of the side.

But he capitalised on his start against FC Basel, the club for which he made his senior debut in 2010, as Arsenal finished top of their Champions League group thanks to a 4-1 victory.

Xhaka also got the better of older brother Taulant during the game, but insists he did not leave the city pining for his homeland.

(Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

“It’s a good experience, a nice experience,” said the Swiss international. “Arsenal is a very big club and it’s so much fun to play alongside my team-mates. I’m really happy here.

“I came home after five years. Here at Basel is where I made my first professional steps, I came up and grew up through the FC Basel school.

“I played against my brother for the third time [too], and it’s always special to play against him.”

West Ham defender Alvaro Arbeloa insists his team have the quality and focus to overcome their dismal start to the Premier League campaign – starting with their trip to Liverpool this weekend.

Slaven Bilic’s men are languishing in 17^th place in the Premier League table, just one point above the bottom three.

Sunday’s trip to Anfield will be a trip down memory lane for the Spaniard, having spent two years on Merseyside.

Last season, the Hammers recorded a 3-0 victory over his former side, and Arbeloa sees no reason why that can’t be the case this time round.

(Photo by Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images)

“Of course this is a very tough time for everyone at the Club and we are facing pressure because we need points,” he said.

“The main thing we can do as players is to work even harder during the week and when we are on the pitch, we need to stay together and fight until the end.

“We need to be ready for everything and focused on the game. We need to do everything perfect and do our best. That is the only thing we can do now.

“West Ham won at Anfield last season, so there is no reason why we cannot do that again.”

The Hammers were wretched in their 5-1 home defeat at the hands of Arsenal at the weekend, in what was only Arbeloa’s third appearance of the season.

He admits that the squad was licking its wounds, but they are determined to bounce back.

“I think the players are hurting a great deal from Saturday,” he said “We have a great manager and great players.

“We have been hit by a number of injuries, but there is nothing we can do about that. We are training as hard as we can and we need to stay together as a team and get more points.”

Burnley’s veteran stopper Paul Robinson believes the quality of the Premier League has soared over the last decade – but is adamant the Clarets are good enough to stay up.

The 37-year-old former England international has deputised capably for the injured Tom Heaton in recent defeats to Manchester City and Stoke, signing at Turf Moor way back in January.

But he confessed his experiences in those fixtures demonstrated the extent to which the league has improved since his last Premier League appearance in 2012.

“Players are fitter, stronger, they are running further and their ability levels have gone up,” he said.

“I think the game as a whole from 10 years ago is a completely different game.

(Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)

“The level of football as a whole has grown due to the money and the depth management teams go to.

“You have dieticians and sports scientists. It’s a lifestyle now and it wasn’t 10 years ago.”

The Eagles have had a topsy-turvy start to their Premier League campaign, with three defeats in succession leaving them just three points clear or relegation danger.

Nonetheless, the former Leeds United, Blackburn Rovers and Tottenham Hotspur stopper is confident Sean Dyche’s men are equipped to negotiate the drop.

“I think the team spirit and the togetherness – without the talent we have in that dressing room – is enough to keep us up,” he said.

“There is a will to win and a desire not to get beat. The type of people we’ve got in there, there’s more than enough to stay in this league.”

Roman Pavlyuchenko had an up-and-down time in his three-and-a-half years at Tottenham Hotspur but the striker claimed he loved every minute of playing for the club.

Pavlyuchenko notched a healthy 41 goals in 113 appearances after moving to White Hart Lane in September 2008 but often found himself down the pecking order of Spurs’ striking stars.

The Russian consistently had a better minutes-per-goal ratio than his fellow forwards but manager Harry Redknapp invariably preferred to start the likes of Jermain Defoe, Robbie Keane and Peter Crouch.

Pavlyuchenko also left under a cloud in January 2012, amid reports of a training ground bust-up with Spurs coach Kevin Bond, and forced a move to Lokomotiv Moscow after threatening to sit out the remaining 18 months of his contract.

Photo credit: Getty Images

Yet the 51-cap international did have plenty of good times in north London, including scoring against Inter Milan in the 3-1 Champions League victory in 2010.

“When Gareth Bale, like he was riding a motorcycle, ran along the wing, I was alone in the centre,” said Pavlyuchenko of that Inter goal. “Bale did everything, all I needed was just to score.

“I enjoyed every single moment during my three-and-a-half years there because at every home match the stands were full of fans, even when it was a friendly game.

“This is great for the players, it’s the reason to play and my whole stay at Tottenham was full of pleasure for me.”

Now 34, Pavlyuchenko is plying his trade for Ural Ekaterinburg in his homeland but still keeps an eye on Spurs’ results.

And he sees no reason why the club couldn’t win the Premier League title for the first time this season.

“I think the play of Tottenham can allow them to fight for the gold medal,” added Pavlyuchenko.

“The team has a good chance of winning the Premier League because they have good players and some teams are not showing their best form.”

Marcos Alonso has been at the heart of Chelsea’s rise to the Premier League summit and he believes Antonio Conte’s side must harness their momentum if they are to continue to set the pace in England’s top flight.

Conte’s men have twice come from behind in recent weeks against Tottenham and Manchester City, winning 2-1 on both occasions, while Alonso has started each of Chelsea’s eight straight victories.

That came off the back of 17 goals in six wins without conceding a goal and though the Blues have clearly made winning a habit of late, Alonso believes they must cash in over the festive period.

“In the Premier League there are so many teams fighting for the title and it will be very tough. We just have to think game-by-game and keep on giving everything we have to win those games,” the 25-year-old Spaniard explained.

(Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

“Winning game after game gives you confidence but you have to keep working. The results give you confidence to work in this way, though. We have got to use this momentum of the last eight league games and go on to have another good game against West Brom now.

“Winning 5-0 makes it a bit easier, of course, but when you come from behind I think it’s also a very good feeling. It’s satisfying when you play a hard game like that.

“I remember how I celebrated with Gaz Cahill at the end of the Tottenham game – it was great to come back like we did that day.

“But it was also great to get the results like we did against Everton and Man United, so I get satisfaction from both.”

Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish said he would love to the chance to “put things right” after their dramatic FA Cup final loss to Manchester United in May.

The Eagles took the lead at Wembley when Jason Puncheon fired past David de Gea with 12 minutes left, but Juan Mata equalised three minutes later.

And Jesse Lingard broke Palace hearts when he rifled in from the edge of the box in extra-time.

Palace will start this year’s FA Cup campaign away at League One side Bolton, with Parish admitting he would relish another opportunity to go all the way in the historic competition.

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“Of course, we were nine minutes away and I still can’t get my head round how we didn’t win,” Parish said.

“That wasn’t a vintage Manchester United team, and it was a weird place for a couple of weeks.

“We would all love to do that again and put it right, and we have got a great first tie against Bolton.

“There are family friends up there and it is exciting stuff to be playing them, but of course we need to

consolidate in the league and that is what we are concentrating on at the moment.”
Palace’s clash with Bolton, at the Macron Stadium, will take place over the weekend of January 6-9.

West Brom midfielder Chris Brunt believes stability has been the key to his side’s recent upturn in form in the Premier League.

Manager Tony Pulis has named the same starting XI in each of the last four top-flight fixtures, a spell that has produced three wins and a draw for the Baggies.

And a side seen as relegation candidates before the campaign got underway now sit in seventh place, just one point behind Manchester United heading into a potentially-vital festive period.

But with Chelsea, United and Arsenal all to come by Boxing Day, Brunt knows the season will continue producing its ups and downs, already boasting nearly half of their 43-point haul from the entirety of last season.

 (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

“We have a good group of lads who work very hard for their results here at the club,” said the Northern Irish international.

“Obviously there are people who have been in the team and playing really well earlier in the season that aren’t getting in the XI at the minute.

“They will be desperate to get back in which is a good thing for us.

“The gaffer is old school and I don’t think he likes to change things when the team is winning and that is understandable.

“That method is paying off at the moment and if we can keep the run of results going like in recent weeks we will all be really pleased.

“I’m sure it will be swings and roundabouts for the rest of the campaign though with injuries and suspensions.”