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As he approaches his six-year milestone at the helm, Mikel Arteta has admitted that his longevity in North London is directly connected to delivering trophies.

The Journey So Far: The Arteta Era

The former Arsenal captain took over on the 20th of December in 2019 and soon guided the team to an FA Cup victory a short time later. But, that early success remains his only top-tier trophy after taking over from Unai Emery.

“I can,” he stated when questioned about his future past 2027. “Yet 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 fixture against Everton, the very same club Arsenal faced immediately following his hiring was confirmed.

League Position and Pressure

As second-placed Manchester City taking on West Ham in an earlier kick-off, Arsenal could be displaced first place in the Premier League for the first time. This potential shift even with Arteta overseeing a squad that has suffered in excess of one hundred injury setbacks from the beginning of last season.

The manager is tied down by a year and a half left on the extension he agreed to in 2024, however, he knows that success is required sooner rather than later.

The Manager's Mandate

Arteta elaborated, highlighting the constant necessity to validate his position. “My belief is that a manager has to earn the right to be here tomorrow. And that is determined by how you react, how you address the media, how you enter the dressing room, the signal you send.”

Arteta continued, expressing gratitude for the strong backing from the club's ownership, but pinpointing the team's buy-in as paramount. “At the end, the critical component are those players... Over this half-decade, I’ve seen just players with a level of attention, willingness to improve and give their all to the team.”

Squad Setbacks

The team approaches the weekend fixture managing yet another injury. Defender Ben White has been declared unavailable with a hamstring injury that is anticipated to keep him out for a few weeks.

A Different Club

Despite the injury crisis and the high-stakes environment, Arteta is confident the club's “priorities and messaging” are completely changed from when he initially took over.

He pointed to the team's performances as proof they are close. “Consider the performances, all the club records that were shattered... We still have yet to do that [win trophies]. But that tells you the level we are at.”

Arteta concluded, “That is a level that the Premier League has not seen before in the past. And our aim is to achieve greater objectives. And if we do that, I think we are on the right path to winning.”