Aston Villa sack manager Dean Smith following five defeats in a row

Dean Smith has been sacked as the manager of Aston Villa following five successive defeats.

The Birmingham-based side returned to the Premier League under Smith's leadership in 2019.

But after selling Jack Grealish to Manchester City in the summer transfer window and losing to Southampton on Friday, the 50-year-old has left his post and becomes the fifth top-flight sacking this season.

In a statement on Villa's website, CEO Christian Purslow said: "When Dean joined us in October 2018 our team was really struggling in the Championship.

"He immediately transformed the atmosphere and performances and achieved the ultimate success of leading Villa back to the Premier League within the same season - a rare feat.

"He then secured our place in the Premier League after a tough campaign and took us to a Cup Final at Wembley.

"However, 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.

"The Board would like to sincerely thank Dean for his many excellent achievements, on and off the pitch, during this time. Everyone knows how much Aston Villa means to Dean and his family.

Source: Mirror