• Alonso guided Leverkusen to Bundesliga title
• Arteta congratulated coach and ex-Gunner Xhaka
• Says his team face different challenge vs Bayern

WHAT HAPPENED?

Alonso and ex-Gunners star Xhaka helped Leverkusen to a first-ever Bundesliga title, completing the job with five games to spare as they ran out 5-0 winners against Werder Bremen on Sunday to maintain their unbeaten season.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Arteta was asked if he reached out to his former team-mate Alonso to congratulate him and if he has received any tips on how to beat Bayern Munich, who the London side face on Wednesday in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie.

WHAT ARTETA SAID

"Big congrats to Xabi and Granit as he was our player as well," Arteta told reporters. "So happy for them and very impressed with what they have done. I congratulated Xabi obviously because we are good friends and because we are happy for them, but this is a different story. We don’t face Bayern regularly and it’s a Champions League tie so the game is very different."

WHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

Arteta's team drew 2-2 with Bayern in the first leg at the Emirates Stadium last week. They travel to Munich to face the German giants in the second leg on Wednesday and will hope to replicate the achievement of Alonso's Leverkusen, who drew 2-2 with Bayern earlier in the season and then crushed them 3-0 in the reverse fixture in February.