Premier League: Aston Villa sacks Steven Gerrard after humiliating defeat and fan anger

"We would like to thank Steven for his hard work and commitment and wish him well for the future," Villa mentioned in their official statement. 

Pressure mounted on Steven Gerrard as his listless side crumbled to a devastating 3-0 loss against Fulham after being reduced to 10 men on Thursday in the Premier League.

The former England captain suffered shouts of being "sacked in the morning" from the home fans and was booed by the visitors as Harrison Reed. Aleksandar Mitrovic scored for Fulham, and Tyrone Mings scored an own goal to complete Villa's humiliation.

The fact that Villa did not fall into the bottom three despite Fulham's score was of little solace to Gerrard, who walked off with a glum expression.

They are now in 17th place, ahead of their Midlands rivals, Wolves, only because they have scored more goals.

After their 2-0 victory over Leeds United, Leicester City, managed by Gerrard's former manager Brendan Rodgers, are just one point behind Villa. Upon a 2-0 home loss to Chelsea, Gerrard revealed on Sunday that he was aware of the chanting against him.

The former Liverpool and England Midfielder, who replaced Dean Smith at Villa last November, was touted as a potential long-term replacement for current Reds manager Jurgen Klopp after a successful period in Scotland.

Now, Gerrard must bide his time as he awaits a chance to repair his reputation, which was harmed by his 11-month stint at Villa Park.

Gerrard, widely regarded as one of the best players in Premier League history, made a promising managerial debut in 2021, leading Rangers to their first Scottish Premiership victory in a decade.

As a result, Rangers' supporters hailed him as a hero for denying their arch-rivals Celtic a record 10th consecutive league championship.

But since transferring to Villa Park, Gerrard has been unable to build on that success, as a string of lacklustre performances has prevented him from winning over the club's fans.

He won only 13 of his 40 games as head coach of the former European champions while losing 19.

Who can replace Steven Gerrard at Aston Villa?

Mauricio Pochettino and Unai Emery are seen as the front-runners to replace Gerrard. However, if they want to take up the charge for a side that is relegation bound is still not confirmed.

The Argentine has been unemployed since he was fired by Paris Saint-Germain in July of last year, despite having won the club's first trophies of his managerial career.

The 50-year-old Pochettino led Tottenham to the 2019 Champions League final in Madrid, where they lost to Liverpool. Additionally, he lost the 2015 League Cup final to Chelsea and finished second to their London rivals in the 2016-17 Premier League season.

While Unai Emery was the club's first choice to succeed Steve Bruce following the Saudi Arabia-backed acquisition in October 2017, the former Arsenal manager declared himself out of contention.

The 50-year-old has had a tremendously successful tenure at Villarreal, leading the Spanish club to Europa League victory in 2020-21 and the Champions League quarterfinals the following year.