Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce has branded his club's fixture schedule "ridiculous" after the club defeated Bristol City in their fourth game in nine days.

The Championship club, who smashed playoff rivals Bristol on Tuesday evening 5-0 after defeating Middlesbrough 1-0 on Saturday, must now prepare for an FA Cup tie against Peterborough this Saturday.

Villa's festive schedule also featured a draw with Sheffield United before Christmas and a 2-1 defeat to Brentford on Boxing Day, a run of games which Bruce has lamented.

"The beauty of the Championship for me but nobody would have thought that Cardiff, Bristol and Sheffield United would be in the mix," he told the Birmingham Mail ahead of the Bristol fixture.

"It's a great league for that. All teams are fit, strong and just because you've got a big club behind you, it doesn't guarantee you anything.

"We've got to rest tomorrow and go again on Monday which is utterly ridiculous."

Villa are fifth in the Championship table, three points behind both Bristol and Cardiff City.