Dean Smith was on Monday relieved of his duties as Aston Villa manager after a run of five consecutive Premier League defeats left the Midlands club hovering just two points above the relegation zone. The 50-year-old’s sacking was the third of the week, after Tottenham Hotspur and Norwich sacked Nuno Espírito Santo and Daniel Farke respectively.

“When Dean joined us in October 2018 our team was really struggling in The Championship,” Villa CEO Christian Purslow said in a statement on the club website. “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. 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.”

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Smith had been in charge of Villa for just over three years, overseeing their promotion to the top flight, before spending nearly £150 million in the 2019 transfer window ahead oh his maiden season with the Villians in the top flight.

Struggling in the relegation zone with just four games left to play, Smith master mixed a great escape to kee Villa in the Premier League for another season. He also reached the final of the Carbao Cup, losing 2-1 to Manchester City.

In his second season at the helm, Villa beat Liverpool 7-2 at home, scoring seven at home for the first time in 67 years. The club went on to narrowly miss a top-half finish after an impressive start to the campaign.