*Goals from Ben Pearson and Jordan Hugill gave Preston victory over Aston Villa to pile further pressure on visiting manager Roberto di Matteo.*

Villa have won only one league game so far this season, despite being one of the favourites for promotion.

North End took the lead after only five minutes when Pearson fired past Mark Bunn from 12 yards.

Hugill made it 2-0 with a shot from inside the box before Villa’s Ross McCormack had a penalty saved late on.

A win for Preston, in their first meeting with Villa at Deepdale in 42 years, saw the hosts extend their unbeaten run to four games and move three points clear of their opponents.

Poor defending allowed them to take the lead, as Pearson found himself clear in the area to beat Bunn.

And a mistake by midfielder Ashley Westwood saw the hosts double their advantage, with Pearson stealing the ball and feeding Hugill, who found the net with a left-footed strike.

Villa, who are now just two points above the relegation zone and 15 adrift of leaders Huddersfield, brought on two more forwards - Rudy Gestede and McCormack - at half-time and looked more threatening after the break.

Gestede should have found the net when he headed over Jordan Ayew’s corner when unmarked and McCormack hit the side-netting with a free-kick.

But, when they had the perfect opportunity to reduce the deficit at the death, McCormack saw his spot-kick, awarded after Jonathan Kodjia was brought down by Bailey Wright, saved by Chris Maxwell.

*Preston manager Simon Grayson:*

“Money brings you good players, which is what Aston Villa have got.

“We have players who want to make careers in the game. They worked, pressed and made it very uncomfortable for Aston Villa.

“If that penalty had gone in at the end it would have been an unfair reflection of how the game went, we were worth a two-goal lead.

“We asked questions of Villa from start to finish. It was a good way to end the busy schedule that we’ve had.”

*Aston Villa manager Roberto di Matteo:*

“There’s a team here that is good, it will come good for us.

“We will keep working. I have faith in the team, I believe in the team and I think that, come the end of the season, they will be up there.

“It’s been a bad day at the office for sure. We are 10 points from sixth place so it’s still all possible.

“It’s normal that when the results of the team aren’t what you expect, the results will be questioned. That’s part of our job.”
---
*BBC Sport*
Monday, 3 October 2016

*Roberto di Matteo: Aston Villa sack manager 124 days after taking charge*

Aston Villa have sacked Roberto di Matteo as manager after just 124 days in the job.

Villa are now looking for their fifth boss inside a year after deciding to replace the Italian, who won just one of 11 Championship games in charge.

Former Chelsea player and manager Di Matteo, 46, was appointed shortly after Chinese businessman Dr Tony Xia took over Villa on 2 June.

Di Matteo’s assistant Steve Clarke will take over as caretaker manager.

Villa’s managerial merry-go-round:

* Tim Sherwood: Feb-Oct 2015
* Kevin MacDonald (caretaker): Oct-Nov 2015
* Remi Garde: Nov 2015-March 2016
* Eric Black (caretaker): Mar-Jun 2016
* Roberto Di Matteo: Jun-Oct 2016

A club statement confirming the exit of former West Bromwich Albion boss Di Matteo said:

“The club decided to act following a run of disappointing results which has the left the team occupying 19th position.

“The club would like to place on record its appreciation to Roberto for all his efforts in helping rebuild the squad.”

Former Birmingham City boss Steve Bruce, who still lives in the Midlands, and ex-Wolves manager Mick McCarthy are among the early favourites to replace him.

Ex-Walsall manager Dean Smith, now in charge at Brentford, has already dismissed speculation about taking charge of the club he supported as a boy.

Villa were booed off by their fans after Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at Preston - Di Matteo’s final game in charge.

Former Villa striker Garry Thompson, who was the radio match summariser at Deepdale, told BBC WM:

“Once you lose the support of the travelling fans and they turn on you, you’re in trouble.”

Di Matteo, whose major success as a manager was winning the Champions League with Chelsea in 2012, also enjoyed success at Championship level when he won promotion with Albion in 2010.

He is succeeded in the short term by his Villa assistant manager Clarke, his former Chelsea team-mate, who also spent a year and a half in charge at West Brom.

Villa under Di Matteo

Since Tim Sherwood left on 25 October 2015, Villa have also had Remi Garde and caretaker boss Eric Black, for the final seven games of last season, in charge prior to Di Matteo’s appointment in June.

Following his arrival, Villa signed nine players for a combined outlay of about £50m, while 17 players left, worth in the region of £16m between them.

But, since beating Rotherham United at home 3-0 on 13 August, his only win, Villa went nine games without a victory.

In five of Di Matteo’s 11 league games at the helm, Villa conceded a goal after 85 minutes.

Villa’s run of managers

Since Martin O’Neill quit on the eve of the season in August 2010, Villa have had six different ‘permanent’ managers and four caretaker bosses, with Gary McAllister taking charge for a spell in 2011 while Gerard Houllier was absent because of ill health:

* Kevin MacDonald (caretaker): 9 Aug-21 Sep 2010
* Gerard Houllier/Gary McAllister: 21 Sep 2010-1 Jun 2011
* Alex McLeish: 17 Jun 2011-15 May 2012
* Paul Lambert: 2 Jun 2012-11 Feb 2015
* Scott Marshall/Andy Marshall (caretaker): 11-17 Feb 2015
* Tim Sherwood: 17 Feb-25 Oct 2015
* Kevin MacDonald (caretaker): 25 Oct-3 Nov 2015
* Remi Garde: 3 Nov 2015-30 March 2016
* Eric Black (caretaker): 30 Mar 2016-2 Jun 2016
* Roberto Di Matteo: 2 Jun-3 Oct 2016

The last 19 months in detail:
* Marshall/Marshall: 7 days, P1 W1
* Sherwood: 250 days, P28 W10 D2 L16
* MacDonald: 9 days, P2 L2
* Garde: 148 days, P23, W3, D7, L13
* Black: 65 days, P7 W0, D1 L6
* Di Matteo: 124 days, P12, W1, D7, L4