Dean Smith is facing the sack by Aston Villa if they suffer another damaging defeat when they host Chelsea on Saturday, claims The Daily Telegraph.
Villa are in rotten form after being handed their fourth straight defeat in the league in Monday's 4-0 thrashing from Leicester.
The newly promoted Premier League outfit are facing instant relegation to the Championship unless rapid improvements are made.
Villa are currently second bottom in the Premier League and effectively three points from safety due to their inferior goal difference compared to their relegation rivals.
Smith's side will leave the bottom three if they win their game in hand, albeit that is against Champions League-chasing Sheffield United.
Including this weekend's match against Chelsea, half of Villa's last 10 games against clubs that currently occupy a spot in the top half of the table.
They are also due to face Crystal Palace and Everton, who are currently 11th and 12th in the table, respectively.
Villa have the worst defensive record in the Premier League (56 goals conceded). Moreover, only Brighton (6) have picked up fewer points than Villa (7) in the Premier League in 2020.
