Steve Bruce desperate to keep Jonathan Kodjia

Kodjia became the Sky Bet Championship's most expensive player when he joined Villa in a deal worth up to £15million from Bristol City last summer, and Bruce is in no doubt about the 27-year-old's value to a side which have endured a roller-coaster campaign.

"Since I started in management, I've always said that you are only as good as your strikers," the Villa boss said.

"At the moment we have someone playing at the top of his game. Even after being away on international duty (with Ivory Coast), he has come back in such good form.

"The first goal in particular is a wonderful piece of finishing. There will not be a better goal than that this weekend in any league."

On Villa's desire to keep Kodjia, Bruce said: "There is no pressure to sell, and nor should there be. We are Aston Villa and we have to get back into the big league."

He acknowledged, however, that the midlands club should be in a better position.

"If our form had been just poor instead of awful in January we might now be talking about something different," he said.

"In my first eight games we were unbeaten and in our second we couldn't win a corner and in the third eight we have won seven. It's just ridiculous."

Bruce was full of praise for Neil Taylor's performance following a testing week for the defender.

Wales international Taylor was sent off for a challenge which broke Republic of Ireland captain Seamus Coleman's leg last Friday - an incident which is now being investigated by FIFA.

"Taylor produced a wonderful challenge in the last few minutes to prevent Nelson Oliveira scoring," Bruce said.

Norwich acting manager Alan Irvine was disappointed the visitors could not pick up any points to boost their play-off hopes.

"I thought we played really well even with 10 men," the Scot said.

"We dominated possession and had territorial advantage. We probably fell down where we would normally be at our strongest, in the final third, and none more so than Oliveira at 1-0 late in the game.

"Obviously, Villa have some good players but they are a real threat on the counter-attack and that is how they got their first goal.

"At times this season away from home I have been really disappointed with our performances. On this occasion I wasn't, as the team played really well."

Irvine does not believe the result will impact on his position at the club.

He said: "I have enjoyed working with the players, but I'm disappointed with the result against Villa."

The late sending-off of Ivo Pinto meant Irvine has lost two full-backs in his three games in charge, following Mitchell Dijks' dismissal against Blackburn.

"No-one is making what was already a difficult task any easier," he said.