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On the eve of his sixth anniversary in charge, Mikel Arteta has stated plainly that his continued role with the club is fundamentally dependent to delivering trophies.

A Look Back: From Appointment to Present

The former Arsenal captain was appointed on December 20th, 2019 and managed to steer the team to an FA Cup triumph within months. However, that first major trophy stands as his sole top-tier trophy since succeeding Unai Emery.

“Absolutely,” the manager said when questioned about his future past 2027. “But it’s about today. And numerous factors have to happen in the near future as well to deserve that opportunity.”

This weekend sees the landmark with a fixture against Everton, the identical team Arsenal played just after his role was made public.

Present Challenges

As trailing Manchester City set to face West Ham in an earlier kick-off, Arsenal risk losing top spot in the Premier League prior to their fixture. This comes despite Arteta overseeing a squad that has been plagued by more than a century of fitness issues from the beginning of last season.

The manager is tied down by 18 months remaining on the contract he inked in 2024, however, he knows that he must deliver promptly.

Survival in the Job

The manager expanded, highlighting the ongoing need to validate his position. “My belief is that a manager must deserve the right to be here tomorrow. And that is determined by how you react, how you communicate, how you go into the dressing room, the instructions you give.”

He stated further, commending the strong backing from the club's ownership, but pinpointing the squad's dedication as the key factor. “In the final analysis, the key individuals are those players... Over this half-decade, I’ve seen just players with a standard of focus, desire to learn and give the maximum to the team.”

Squad Setbacks

Arsenal approaches the weekend fixture coping with a fresh setback. Defender Ben White has been ruled out with a hamstring injury that is anticipated to sideline him for a few weeks.

A Different Club

Regardless of the availability issues and the intense pressure, Arteta feels the club's “priorities and messaging” are vastly different from when he initially took over.

Arteta highlighted the squad's displays as proof they are close. “Consider the performances, all the historical marks we surpassed... We still have yet to do that [win trophies]. But that shows the level we are at.”

Arteta concluded, “This is a standard that the Premier League has never experienced in the past. And our ambition is to achieve even higher goals. And if we do that, I think we are on the right path to winning.”