Arsenal have reached a pivotal stage in the season as the pressure ramps up for Mikel Arteta and his side. The Gunners, following their FA Cup clash with Wigan Athletic, will now turn their attention back to the Premier League.

They face an away trip to Wolves on Wednesday night, where the league leaders will hope to avoid any more dropped points, having narrowly avoided a shockstalemate when the two sides met in the reverse fixture before Christmas.

Arteta’s men have looked shaky in recent weeks in the league, with five points dropped against Manchester United and Brentford in total. That suggests there is still plenty of room for improvement as sporting director Andrea Berta formulates a transfer plan for the upcoming summer window.

Despite Manchester City breathing down their necks, the north Londoners still lead the Premier League table. And Mirror Football now brings you two of the latest news stories involving Arsenal.

Ensure our latest sport headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings

• Martin Odegaard provides injury update after Arsenal captain's worrying blow at Brentford

• Pep Guardiola ramps up Arsenal mind games with five-word warning to Mikel Arteta

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has revealed his silent agreement with Manchester City’s Erling Haaland as the Premier League title race between the two clubs heats up. Odegaard and Haaland are crucial players for Norway and are close friends off the pitch.

Playing for their respective club sides has naturally pitted them against each other as rivals in recent years. However, the Norway and Gunners skipper insists the pair will not let this season's title race affect that relationship, given they are able to put club loyalties aside when they are together.

Odegaard told FourFourTwo: "We’re really relaxed about it. He knows, I know, everyone knows that we’re competing against each other. That's just the way it is. But when it comes to the national team or even outside of football, we don't really talk about it at all.

"We’re just normal friends. We talk about other things or about the national team when we’re together. We don't really speak about football that much. It’s very relaxed and we're good friends and that's how it should be.

"Whatever happens during the game stays out on the pitch. That’s one of the nice things about football. You give everything, you leave everything out there, then you move on. We focus on ourselves, on the things that we can control."

When the current season ends, Odegaard will link up with Haaland in the Norway national team for this summer's World Cup. Norway's strong qualifying campaign and the pair’s heroics saw them end a 28‑year absencefrom a major tournament.

Another one of Odegaard’s Norway team-mates, Antonio Nusa, is reportedly being pursued by Arsenal. A report from Fussball Daten claims the Gunners have sent scouts on several occasions to watch the RB Leipzig winger.

The report says Nusa, 20, is also being eyed by the likes of Aston Villa and Newcastle, having joined the Bundesliga outfit at the start of last season. But the Gunners, who are known to be in the market for a left winger, can tempt Leipzig into a deal if they offer between £43million and £52m.

Nusa has seven goals in 20 appearances for Norway and is expected to play a part at this summer’s World Cup. His price could increase if Odegaard and company have a successful tournament in America.

FOLLOW OUR ARSENAL FB PAGE! Latest Gunners news and more on our dedicated Facebook page