Steven Gerrard has been sacked as manager of Aston Villa following Thursday’s 3-0 defeat to Fulham at Craven Cottage.
Speculation over the 42-year-old’s status has intensified in recent days, with some reports stating that the club’s owners had decided to dismiss him before their trip to West London thursday evening.
Villa downplayed the rumours, but have announced today that Gerrard has departed the club with immediate effect.
The club announced the news in a brief 39-word statement on their official website, less than an hour and a half after their 3-0 loss to Fulham left them just outside the relegation zone on goals scored.
The statement read, “Aston Villa Football Club can confirm that head coach Steven Gerrard has left the club with immediate effect.”
“We would like to thank Steven for his hard work and commitment and wish him well for the future.”
Aston Villa Football Club can confirm that Head Coach Steven Gerrard has left the club with immediate effect.
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) October 20, 2022
Villa have won just one of their previous nine Premier League games, scoring only five goals and finishing 17th in the table.
Gerrard, who took over as Villa manager in November, departs with a victory ratio of 32.5%, having won 13, drawn eight, and lost 19 of his 40 games in charge.
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In Thursday’s 3-0 loss to Fulham, his team gave up a penalty and an own goal, and Douglas Luiz was sent off for a headbutt on Aleksandar Mitrovic.
A number of away fans yelled for Gerrard to quit as he went off the field, but the Liverpool icon pledged in his post-match interview, just over an hour before his departure was confirmed by the club, that he would not stand down.
Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino is widely seen as the favourite to replace Gerrard at Villa Park.
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