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Ahead of marking his half-decade plus one year in charge, Mikel Arteta has stated plainly that his longevity in North London is fundamentally dependent to achieving success.

The Journey So Far: Six Years in Charge

The former Arsenal captain assumed control on December 20th, 2019 and managed to steer the team to an FA Cup triumph not long after. But, that first major trophy remains his lone major honor following the departure of Unai Emery.

“I can,” Arteta responded when questioned about his future past 2027. “But it’s about today. And a lot of things need to fall into place in the next few months as well to deserve that opportunity.”

This weekend sees the anniversary with a match versus Everton, the identical team Arsenal met the day after his hiring was confirmed.

The Current Landscape

As trailing Manchester City playing against West Ham in an earlier kick-off, Arsenal face being knocked off first place in the Premier League prior to their fixture. This situation arises despite Arteta overseeing a squad that has endured in excess of one hundred injury setbacks from the beginning of last season.

Arteta currently has 18 months remaining on the extension he agreed to in 2024, however, he knows that he must deliver promptly.

The Manager's Mandate

The manager expanded, highlighting the constant necessity to prove his worth. “In my view a manager has to earn the right to be here tomorrow. And that depends on how you react, how you address the media, how you step into the dressing room, the signal you send.”

Arteta continued, commending the strong backing from the club's ownership, but pinpointing the squad's dedication as paramount. “Ultimately, the most important ones are those players... For six years, I’ve seen just players with a standard of focus, hunger for knowledge and give the maximum to the team.”

Latest Fitness Blow

Arsenal approaches the weekend fixture dealing with a fresh setback. Defender Ben White has been declared unavailable with a hamstring injury that is likely to see him miss action for the coming weeks.

Evolved Priorities

Regardless of the injury crisis and the high-stakes environment, Arteta believes the club's “objectives and communication” are vastly different from when he began his reign.

The manager referenced the record-breaking achievements as evidence of progress. “Consider the performances, all the club records that were shattered... We still have yet to do that [win trophies]. But that tells you the caliber we've reached.”

He finished by saying, “It represents a quality that the Premier League has not seen before in the past. And our aim is to achieve more lofty ambitions. And if we do that, I think we are on the correct trajectory to winning.”