Aston Villa have sacked head coach Dean Smith after five successive Premier League defeats.

Smith, who was appointed in October 2018, helped earn Villa promotion back to the Premier League in his first season in charge at the club.

However, in his third Premier League campaign with the club, a run of five straight losses – the last of which came at Southampton on Friday – has led the Villa hierarchy to make a change.

Villa chief executive Christian Purslow said: “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 process of replacing Dean will now begin and the club will update supporters in due course.”

Villa narrowly avoided relegation in their first season back in the top flight, but there were signs of progression as they finished 11th the following campaign and reached the final of the Carabao Cup, where they were beaten by Manchester City.

Captain Jack Grealish left the club to join City in the summer, but Smith was given funds to rebuild his squad, with players including Emiliano Buendia, Danny Ings and Leon Bailey arriving at Villa Park.

Villa made a solid start to the season, with September’s win against Manchester United at Old Trafford propelling them into the top half of the table after six games.

However, the Old Trafford triumph proved to be Smith’s final victory at the club, with losses to Spurs, Wolves, Arsenal and West Ham preceding Friday’s 1-0 defeat at Southampton.

Purslow added: “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.

“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.”

Grealish, who enjoyed a strong relationship with Smith, took to Twitter to pay tribute to his former boss.

“No-one will ever compare,” the England midfielder posted. “The real goat.”

Smith is the fifth Premier League boss to lose his job this season, following Norwich’s sacking of Daniel Farke on Saturday.

Analysis: Villa’s owners show ruthless edge

Sky Sports’ Gerard Brand:

“Villa were ruthless in the summer transfer window in attempting to replace Jack Grealish, spending nearly £100m on Emi Buendia, Danny Ings and Leon Bailey. They’ve shown a similar ruthless edge in sacking Dean Smith after five straight defeats.

“Under owners Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris and chief executive Christian Purslow, backwards steps will not be tolerated.

“On top of the five defeats, Villa’s performances were concerning. In those 450 minutes, they played well for an accumulative hour, but 40 points gained from their last 36 games will be the real reason for Smith’s sacking.

“Smith has struggled for a settled XI this season; from day one he insisted Ings could play alongside Ollie Watkins, experimented with a back five and had initial success, but by the time he reverted to a back four, confidence was rock bottom.

“Emi Buendia has struggled to recreate the form that warranted a £38m price tag, and the defence that kept 15 clean sheets in 2020-21 looked jagged.

“Like many clubs’ support, there is a chasm between social media reaction and match-going atmosphere. Those at St Mary’s on Friday night started the evening singing Smith’s name, but ended it wondering what was next in a season that had promised progress, despite the Grealish sale.

“Many will believe the club had to act soon before a relegation battle became a real prospect. Others feel he has built more than enough credit in the bank for more time.

“They’ll be hoping a ready-made replacement is waiting in the wings: it’s difficult to see who, at this stage, but a week is a long time in this Premier League season as the managerial merry-go-round continues.”