Aston Villa have parted company with head coach Dean Smith after three years in charge.
The 50-year-old leaves the Villans following a 1-0 defeat away against Southampton on Friday night, the club's fifth consecutive defeat in the Premier League.
Villa have slipped down to 16th in the table, just two points above the relegation zone, after losing seven of their 11 top-flight matches this season.
In a statement announcing Smith's exit, 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 [EFL 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. He has represented the club with distinction and dignity - universally liked and respected by everybody associated with Aston Villa – our staff, players and supporters alike. We wish him the very best."
Smith replaced Steve Bruce at Villa Park in October 2018 and went on to oversee 138 games across all competitions as manager, winning 56, drawing 27 and losing 55.
Oliver Thomas
