Sunday’s briefing: Villa and Arsenal look ahead as Saints seek to delay drop

Aston Villa and Arsenal will lock horns with two of European football’s aristocrats next week having experienced very different weekends.

They will do so with Premier League rivals Ipswich and Southampton contemplating bleak fates following a potentially pivotal round of fixtures.

Elsewhere, one of German football’s biggest names is to part company with Bayern Munich after a quarter of a century.

Villa on a high

Aston Villa will head into Wednesday night’s Champions League quarter-final first leg with Paris St Germain having blown the race to qualify for next season’s competition wide open.

Goals from Morgan Rogers and Donyell Malen on Saturday evening handed Villa a 2-1 Premier League win over third-placed Nottingham Forest to leave just two points separating Chelsea in fourth from Newcastle, who play at Leicester on Monday evening, in seventh.

Looking ahead to the showdown with the newly-crowned Ligue 1 champions, boss Unai Emery said: “We are motivated. We’re excited They are favourites, but we are going to try to play those two matches, analysing how we have to adapt to them, how we can impose and dominate with our structure tactically.”

Arsenal keeping it Real

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta will prepare for Tuesday’s collision with Spanish giants Real Madrid knowing any lingering hope of reining in Premier League leaders Liverpool has all but evaporated.

Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Everton left the Toffees’ neighbours 11 points clear of the Gunners ahead of Sunday’s trip to Fulham, with the point of no return fast approaching.

However, he is concentrating only on a big night at the Emirates Stadium.

Asked about Madrid’s visit, Arteta said: “One of the most beautiful games that you can play in football, in the highest European competition, against the team that has dominated that competition in the last 20, 25 years. So, yeah, really looking forward to it.”

Town in trouble

At the other end of the table, Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna admits his club’s top-flight race is almost run.

Liam Delap’s early goal against Wolves gave the promoted side real hope of a second win in four days before substitute Pablo Sarabia and Jorgen Strand Larsen struck to clinch a 2-1 win for the visitors which left their opponents 12 points from safety with seven games to play.

McKenna said: “It was a really spirited performance, but not enough to win. The likeliness is that we are going to fall short of our ultimate dream at the end of the season.”

Auf Wiedersehen, Thomas

Thomas Muller will leave Bayern Munich this summer after 25 years with his boyhood club.

The 35-year-old has won 33 trophies and will end his time as the club’s record appearance maker, featuring 743 times and counting.

Bayern confirmed Muller’s departure on Saturday, with the forward releasing a statement which read: “It’s clear that today is not like any other day for me. My 25 years as an FC Bayern Munich player will come to an end in the summer. It’s been an incredible journey, shaped by unique experiences, great encounters and unforgettable triumphs.”

News of Muller’s impending departure came just a day after Kevin De Bruyne announced he is to leave Manchester City, prompting boss Pep Guardiola to say: “There are players who are unique, who represent what the club wants to be, and Kevin is one of them.

“Now, it’s a shock, but people will remember how blessed and happy they were to see these type of players who gave us absolutely everything. You can only be grateful.”

What’s on today?

The Manchester derby takes centre stage with reigning champions City heading for Old Trafford engaged in a fight to secure a top-four finish.

Liverpool seem certain to relieve Guardiola’s men of their crown and will hope to bank another three points at Craven Cottage. Southampton will be relegated if they lose at Tottenham while Chelsea face a tough trip to Brentford.

Runaway Scottish Premiership leaders Celtic are on the road at bottom-of-the-table St Johnstone, while Hearts and Dundee United meet at Tynecastle.