Gallagher's record against Villa flagged before Tottenham trip

Aston Villa travel to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday lunchtime still seeking their first Premier League points of the season, and Football Insider believes Conor Gallagher could be central to the hosts' plans. The publication argues that Roberto De Zerbi should keep the 26-year-old in his starting eleven after he was handed a run-out in the Carabao Cup earlier this week.

Gallagher found the net during Tuesday's 3-1 defeat by Liverpool, having been largely restricted to substitute appearances in the league so far. According to the outlet, the England international has developed a habit of troubling Villa, finding the net in three out of his previous four encounters with them.

The report references his most recent outing against Unai Emery's side at Villa Park, where he opened the scoring. Citing figures from Fotmob published on 18 September, Football Insider states he led all players for defensive actions, completed 86 per cent of his passes, won four of seven ground duels and registered two line-breaking balls during that match.

For De Zerbi, the stakes are high. Tottenham have yet to register a Premier League victory this term, and the Italian manager is said to be under mounting pressure from supporters. A second weekend without three points would leave the club hovering near the bottom of the table heading into a three-week gap in fixtures.

Villa arrive in north London off the back of a 3-1 League Cup success at Coventry City on Wednesday evening, but their domestic form remains a concern following defeats by Arsenal and Nottingham Forest plus a goalless draw at Hull City. Emery will be keen to ensure Gallagher's past exploits against his side are not repeated at the third attempt this calendar year.