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The 25-year-old midfielder has returned to the Premier League with Villa's rivals Tottenham Hotspur

Conor Gallagher admits he ‘wanted to be a Spurs player’ after turning down a move to Aston Villa.

The midfielder was speaking after completing a £34million transfer from Atletico Madrid to Tottenham Hotspur.

The move represents a return to London for a player who came through the Chelsea youth system before moving to La Liga in 2024.

He scored seven times in 77 games under Diego Simeone but as soon as the transfer window opened he seemed destined to return to the Premier League.

He could have done that with Villa who are third and battling for Champions League qualification but has instead opted for mid-table Tottenham.

He told their club website why: “I'm so happy and excited to be here, taking the next step in my career at an amazing club.

“I wanted to be a Spurs player and thankfully the club felt the same. It was very easy, it happened very quickly and I'm ready to get on the pitch.

“I know how great the fans are, I’m really happy to be a part of it here and want to create special moments and memories together.”

Spurs’ head coach Thomas Frank, said: “Conor is a top midfielder, who we have worked tirelessly to add to our squad.

“He is still young, so has plenty of room for improvement, but also has huge experience across the Premier League, La Liga and with the England national team.

“Conor has captained teams so will bring leadership, maturity, character and personality to our dressing room, while his running power, pressing ability and eye for goal will strengthen us in a key area of the pitch.

“I’m excited about working with him every day and I know the fans will love what he will bring to the team.”

Aston Villa have been charged with misconduct following a brawl in the aftermath of their 2-1 win over Tottenham on Saturday.

Tensions boiled over in the aftermath of the FA Cup clash on the road, with Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers caught in a heated altercation with Joao Palhinha for their celebrations at full-time. Players and coaching staff from both camps then piled in as tempers continued to rise, with Kevin Danso and Ezri Konsa pulling Palhinha away as Micky van de Ven and Dominic Solanke attempted to hold Rogers back.

As a result of player conduct, both the Villans and the Lilywhites have been charged by the Football Association for misconduct. A statement on Wednesday read: "Tottenham Hotspur FC and Aston Villa FC have been charged with misconduct following their FA Cup match on Saturday 10 January.

"It's alleged that both clubs failed to ensure their players and/or officials did not behave in an improper and/or provocative way after the final whistle. Aston Villa FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC have until Friday 16 January to provide a response."

It was a game of two halves in north London, as Villa built a convincing lead in the opening 45. Emi Buendia broke the deadlock on the 22 minute mark, running onto a reverse ball from Donyell Malen before rifling home from close range.

While Randal Kolo Muani looked to have levelled matters on the verge of half-time with a cute chip over Marco Bizot, his strike was ultimately ruled out for offside. Rogers then gave Villa a 2-0 lead three minutes into stoppage time, slotting the ball past Guglielmo Vicario with his left before wheeling away in celebration.

While Wilson Odobert managed to pull one back nine minutes after play had resumed, his goal came as nothing more than a consolation prize as Spurs crashed out of the FA Cup. Footage in the aftermath then quickly cut to Palhinha and Rogers shoving one another in ire, as players and staff scrambled to cool tensions.

Speaking to reporters after the match, Thomas Frank accused Watkins of provoking Palhinha, explaining: "I don’t think so. I guess you have seen the situation through?

"I just saw it to be sure I saw what I saw. Of course, it’s all about keeping a cool head. The players gave everything, everything out there, (but) losing a tight game, season not going perfect and I think Ollie is very provoking.

"The way he is going down to celebrate in front of the Villa fans, and he is walking into Joao, he can just easily walk around. I think everyone that has been in a competitive nature, that is difficult and can trigger things."

'Brilliant' Aston Villa veteran picked out for individual praise in an FA Cup third round win over Tottenham Hotspur

Match of the Day pundits Rob Green and Dion Dublin focused on the influence of John McGinn as they analysed Aston Villa's fine FA Cup win at Tottenham Hotspur.

McGinn, playing on the right of three players behind striker Donyell Malen, was key to Villa's play in a 2-1 away win that was secured thanks to first-half goals from Emiliano Buendia and Morgan Rogers.

"John McGinn - and Emi Buendia - dictated play in the first half. They were brilliant," said former keeper Green.

"It's all about understanding your role and tucking inside when he (McGinn) needed to tuck inside. Palhinha and (Archie) Gray, the two central midfielders for Tottenham, just couldn't live with him and his timing of his movement and then his link up play to the front two.

"From there Villa just completely stole the show.

"He drifted in between the midfield two which led to Buendia's goal - and Buendia was doing the same from the other side, coming into central positions and just rotating the play at times. It was so difficult for Spurs to pick him at any point in the game."

Ex-Villa striker Dublin had praise for McGinn's impact on and off the ball.

He said: "He seems to do all the ugly stuff very, very well that no one else wants to do - but he also affects where his teammates are.

"He can bounce the ball, keep it nice and simple, not complicating it.

"He's a leader, he makes sure that all his team are accountable for their actions, he's pointing, he's shouting.

"With that armband, he is their leader and it works for him."

Thomas Frank blames Ollie Watkins for full-time brawl after Aston Villa's win at Tottenham

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank blamed Ollie Watkins for what happened after Aston Villa's win in the FA Cup

Thomas Frank accused Ollie Watkins of “provoking” Joao Palhinha during the brawl that followed Aston Villa’s FA Cup victory over Tottenham.

Emi Buendía and Morgan Rogers scored Villa’s goals in the first half before Wilson Odobert halved Spurs’ deficit after the break.

Villa held on for their second win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this season, booking their place in the fourth round of the competition.

However, the match became ill-tempered at times. Palhinha fouled Boubacar Kamara early on, forcing the Frenchman to hobble off injured and ending his involvement in the match.

Palhinha was later involved in a small melee after the full-time whistle, appearing to put his head towards Watkins after the striker celebrated in front of the Villa supporters.

Spurs boss Thomas Frank claimed that Watkins had provoked his Portuguese midfielder, as the Villa forward was seen celebrating in close proximity to him.

"It is about keeping a cool head, the players gave everything. Losing a tight game, season not going perfectly and Ollie is very provoking," said Frank in his post-match press conference.

"He can easily just walk around. Everyone who has been in a competitive nature, that can trigger things.”

The incident arrived just days after Palhinha and Micky Van de Ven were caught in a heated disagreement with their own fans following a 3-2 loss to Bournemouth on Wednesday.

"You need to play with passion, sometimes you play to the line and sometimes borderline," Frank added when he was asked if his players needed to be careful.

"I see players with big passion and that is important but we also need cool heads."

Unai Emery has selected his team to take on Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup third round

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has named his starting XI to face Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup third round this evening.

He has made six changes from the side that drew 0–0 at Crystal Palace on Wednesday night.

Marco Bizot starts in goal behind a defence made up of Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Pau Torres and Ian Maatsen.

Lamare Bogarde and Boubacar Kamara operate in the double pivot, while John McGinn, Emi Buendia and Morgan Rogers support striker Donyell Malen.

Tottenham have lost two of their last three FA Cup ties against Villa, going out to the Villans in the fourth round last season.

Villa have already won 2–1 at Spurs in the Premier League this season. As a top-flight side, the last team they beat twice away from home in a single campaign was Norwich City in 2012–13.

They have won their last two FA Cup third-round ties, having been eliminated at this stage in each of the seven campaigns before that.

Spurs, meanwhile, have progressed from 18 of their last 19 FA Cup third-round ties, doing so in each of the last 11 campaigns since a 2-0 loss at Arsenal in 2013–14.

Villa starting XI: Bizot, Cash, Konsa, Pau, Maatsen, Bogarde, Kamara, McGinn, Rogers, Buendia, Malen.

Subs: Wright, Lindelof, Mings, Tielemans, Watkins, Digne, Garcia, Sancho, Hemmings.

Tottenham starting XI: Vicario, Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Davies, Gray, Palhinha, Simons, Odobert, Tel, Richarlison.

Subs: Kinsky, Dragusin, Udogie, Solanke, Spence, Kolo Muani, Scarlett, Byfield, Williams-Barnett.

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Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez came off at half-time at Crystal Palace

Unai Emery has confirmed that Emi Martinez will miss Aston Villa’s FA Cup third-round tie against Tottenham Hotspur due to injury, but has revealed the goalkeeper wanted to play on against Crystal Palace on Wednesday night.

The goalkeeper was dealing with a calf issue before the 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace, but was unable to continue after half-time.

He was replaced by Marco Bizot, who made his ninth appearance of the season and helped Villa preserve a clean sheet.

Speaking ahead of Villa’s match against Tottenham, Emery explained that Martinez wanted to continue playing into the second half, but it was decided that it wasn’t worth risking aggravating his injury.

“He is really being in the commitment we need of him,” the Villa boss explained. “He played on Wednesday knowing he has a small injury and he did the effort to play.

“For him it is easier to decide not to play, but he played. The first half he was not feeling good.

“It was his choice to play the second half, but because he is in the risk to get the worse injury, we decided with the doctor to stop him.

“He is helping the team, and now I am happy with him. I am seeing him like I want. After last summer, it was difficult for everybody and him as well. Now I can face him and see his eyes and trust him.”

Bizot has impressed when called on, even at late notice, having also played from the off against Feyenoord when Martinez suffered an injury the warm-up.

“Marco is fantastic. Like Olsen, to be the sub of Olsen is not easy,” Emery said. “Being ready to play when we need him is fantastic.

“Even more when Martinez tries to play, but can’t. Marco, knowing it, has to be ready to play or not and perform in the level we need. How he is doing, and the respect he has in the dressing room, is really fantastic.”

This weekend’s opponents, Spurs, have progressed from 18 of their last 19 FA Cup third-round ties, advancing in each of the last 11 campaigns since a 2-0 defeat to Arsenal in the 2013–14 season.

Villa, meanwhile, have won their last two FA Cup third-round matches, having been eliminated at this stage in each of the previous seven campaigns.

Emery’s side also beat Tottenham earlier this season, coming from behind to secure a 2-1 victory in the capital.

Tottenham have advised that Aston Villa have taken a huge allocation of tickets for next month's FA Cup clash

Aston Villa have taken a huge allocation of tickets for their FA Cup third-round tie against Tottenham Hotspur.

The match is scheduled to be played at 5:45pm on Saturday, January 10, and will be broadcast live on BBC, TNT Sports and Discovery+.

Tottenham have confirmed that Villa have taken up their full allocation of 9,000 tickets for the fixture.

Villa’s larger allocation is due to FA Cup regulations, which allow away supporters to receive up to 15 per cent of the home stadium’s capacity.

Villa went on to win that match 2-1, with Unai Emery’s side coming from behind after Rodrigo Bentancur opened the scoring early on. Morgan Rogers netted a stunning equaliser later in the first half, before Emi Buendia sealed the victory with a strike from the edge of the box.

Villa are yet to release ticket details for the FA Cup third-round clash, but an announcement is expected shortly.

Meanwhile, Tottenham have advised that some North Stand season ticket holders will be unable to purchase their usual seats due to Villa taking their full allocation.

The club added that season ticket holders seated in blocks 420–424 and 515–519, along with a small number in blocks 112, 419, 514 and 520 who purchased a ‘Premier League Only’ season ticket, will be able to purchase an alternative ticket from 2pm on Thursday, December 18. Alternatively, they may request to buy tickets through the club’s dedicated South Lower sales window.

Tottenham Hotspur hero Harry Kane represented Arsenal as a youngster but wasn't deemed good enough for the Gunners

Arsenal's decision-makers allowed Harry Kane to slip through their academy ranks as they believed future Wolves player, Benik Afobe, possessed the qualities needed to succeed ahead of the Tottenham legend.

Kane, 32, went on to bag 280 goals for Spurs and became England's record goalscorer. His massive £120 million switch to Bayern Munich in August 2023 has already seen him find the net an incredible 113 times for the German club.

However, things could have been vastly different if Arsenal bosses hadn't preferred Afobe over Kane, who had joined the Gunners aged just eight. Afobe progressed through Arsenal's youth system alongside Kane but later represented Wolves, Arsenal's Premier League opponents this weekend, on three separate occasions.

Afobe, currently plying his trade for Al-Arabi in the UAE at 32, managed 29 goals for the Midlands outfit. The DR Congo international also featured for Bournemouth in the Premier League but never came close to matching Kane's impact on the top flight.

Kane was reportedly thought to be carrying some "puppy fat" during his youth and was considered a poor runner. Arsenal simply felt that Afobe was the superior talent of the pair, believing he was more athletic, sharper in front of goal and stronger in physical battles.

Arsenal perhaps cannot be entirely criticised for choosing Afobe ahead of Kane, though. Afobe had attracted interest from Barcelona before penning his first professional deal, such was his potential at the time.

Injuries significantly hindered Afobe from reaching his potential in north London, leading to his departure for Wolves in 2014 after several loan spells.

Kane later confessed that being released by Arsenal, the team he supported as a child, after just one season fuelled his ambition to reach the pinnacle of football.

"Yeah, probably throughout my whole career, really," Kane said in September 2024. "Starting from when I was eight years old being released from Arsenal. That might have built a bit of desire to prove to them when I was that age."

Arsenal's former academy chief Liam Brady, a legendary figure at the club, conceded that the "buck stops with him" over Kane, despite not personally making the decision.

Kane joined Spurs at the age of 11 but nearly faced release as a teenager. He had to fight to establish himself at Spurs after being loaned out to Leyton Orient and Norwich, with additional loan spells at Millwall and Leicester.

Kane was finally given his first Premier League start under Tim Sherwood. However, it was Mauricio Pochettino who truly championed him and credits Kane's 90th-minute winner at Aston Villa in November 2014 as the goal which saved his job during a challenging period.

Former Arsenal academy boss Roy Massey, a highly respected figure, has also previously admitted that telling Kane he wasn't good enough remains one of the toughest conversations he's ever had.

Whilst they're currently performing well in the league, Arsenal will undoubtedly reflect on their mistake with Kane that proved to be extremely costly, not just in terms of goals, but also for their future finances.

Birmingham City face West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns on Wednesday evening in a game that will see two former Tottenham colleagues go head to head

Ryan Mason admits he hopes to get one over his friend Chris Davies when West Brom face Birmingham City on Wednesday evening.

The local derby between Albion and Blues sees the visitors in far better form, having won five of their last eight, scored four goals at home for three straight matches and in ninth place in the Championship.

That’s eight spots – but only three points – ahead of the Baggies who gave up a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2 at Coventry City at the weekend and who have won just two of their last eight.

Another subtext will be the fact the match pits Mason against Davies who were coaching colleagues under Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham Hotspur until the latter left to take over at Blues.

Both are in their first managerial jobs and while Davies is thriving, Mason has had a tough start. The West Brom boss believes Davies is benefitting from being a year-and-a-half into the job.

“We need to be disciplined and not act emotionally. It’s important to use the energy and emotion, but we have to stay calm and trust what we’re doing,” he told the club website.

“We know in local games like this there will be plenty of intensity and energy. It’s important to manage that, while also using it to our advantage.

“I’m not surprised by how well Chris Davies has done at Birmingham. I consider him a friend, but definitely not tomorrow.

"I have massive respect for him as a human first of all, and I think the job he has done there speaks for itself. Our teams are competing against each other on Wednesday and we’re both desperate to win.

“Birmingham are a good team and they play with intensity. They’ve had a manager in place for coming up to 18 months, which I think is really helpful for them. We understand it’ll be a difficult game, as they all are in this division.

“At the same time, we’re at home and we’re playing in front of our fans. We have belief in ourselves and we’re looking forward to it. This group, and everyone here, is super determined to give back as much as possible.”

Mason has also reacted to what he perceives as negativity from outside the club: "I've got to be honest, it doesn't bother me what other people think, the most important people are anyone and everyone associated with the Albion," he said.

"I've always said regardless of how many games I've managed, I'll always be learning - in football if you stand still and don't want to learn, then the game passes you by.

"I'm determined more than ever to change the feeling, which is ultimately to win more games of football."

Kevin Danso left Lucas Digne with a nasty injury during Tottenham's 2-1 defeat by Aston Villa over the weekend

Kevin Danso has publicly apologised to Lucas Digne after leaving the Aston Villa defender with a gruesome injury during Tottenham's 2-1 defeat on Sunday.

Danso, who stepped in to replace Cristian Romero after the Spurs captain picked up an injury in the warm-up, caught Digne with a strong challenge in north London. Referee Simon Hooper didn't punish the Spurs centre-back despite Villa protests and Digne was seen visibly furious with the challenge on the pitch.

The Frenchman was then seen making his anger clear in the dugout and later posted a picture of his gruesome ankle injury on social media. He captioned his post: "No pain, no gain."

Danso took part in media duties on Tuesday night ahead of Tottenham's Champions League clash with Monaco. The defender was asked about the incident and has apologised to his opponent.

He said: "I saw the picture of his ankle, I didn't get the chance after the game but I apologised to him on the pitch and I would like to apologise to him publicly also, there was no malice in it. My intention is never to injure somebody."

Every day, the BirminghamLive football desk strive to deliver all manner of news, features and transfer-related stories as a part of our overall package of Aston Villa content.

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