Aston Villa boss Steve Bruce offers his congratulations to Wolves

Although Wolves still need two more points to get over the line, Bruce believes they can’t be caught now.

“It’s about who can sustain it and to be fair to Wolves they look as if they’re over the line so congratulations to them,” the Villa boss said. “They’ve been the best team in the division and they’ve been able to maintain those standards.

“That’s the demand of the Championship – getting to the levels and then sustaining them.

“How many times have you heard every manager saying that it’s a physically enduring season? It’s a marathon.

“After us beating them I think they’ve won four or five on the spin since so fair play to them.”

And Bruce had praise for everyone from Ruben Neves to Conor Coady.

He added: “About 30-40 per-cent of them were there last year too.

“Conor Coady, the captain who’s gone into a different position and done very well.

“The right wing-back Doherty has been, for me, as good a player as anybody in the Championship from what I’ve seen this year.

“The so-called unsung heroes of course, we talk about Neves and the other boys who’ve come from playing in the Champions League, but overall we have to say well done to them and it would take an almighty crash now that I don’t expect to happen.

“Consistency-wise, to have accumulated the number of points they have now with still four or five games to play is testament to them.

“They are very good side with some very good players, it’s times like now when you have to congratulate them and say ‘well done’.

“They’ve been by far the best team in the league.”