Dean Smith has been sacked as manager of Aston Villa after five straight Premier League defeats, the club announced on Sunday.
Smith guided Villa back to the English top flight in 2019 but has paid the price for their disappointing form this season, with Friday’s 1-0 defeat at Southampton proving the last straw for club bosses.
The former European champions were 15th in the Premier League table ahead of Sunday’s matches after picking up just 10 points from their opening 11 games.
Smith’s departure comes the day after bottom club Norwich sacked their manager Daniel Farke.
Villa chief executive Christian Purslow said in a statement on the club’s website: “After a good start to last season, this year we have not seen the continuous improvement in results, performances and league position which we have all been looking for.
“For this reason, we have decided to make a change now to allow time for a new head coach to make an impact
