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On the eve of his sixth anniversary at the helm, Mikel Arteta has stated plainly that his future at Arsenal is fundamentally dependent to delivering trophies.

Reflecting on: From Appointment to Present

The former Arsenal captain took over on December 20th, 2019 and soon guided the team to an FA Cup triumph within months. Yet, that early success is still his only top-tier trophy after taking over from Unai Emery.

“Absolutely,” the manager said upon being asked about staying beyond 2027. “However, it is about today. And a lot of things must occur in the near future as well to deserve that opportunity.”

This weekend sees the landmark with a fixture against Everton, the identical team Arsenal faced just after his hiring was confirmed.

League Position and Pressure

With trailing Manchester City taking on West Ham earlier in the day, Arsenal could be displaced the summit in the Premier League for the first time. This potential shift despite Arteta presiding over a squad that has been plagued by over 100 injuries over the course of last season.

Arteta is tied down by 18 months remaining on the extension he agreed to in 2024, yet understands fully that results must come sooner rather than later.

Survival in the Job

He went on to explain, stressing the constant necessity to justify his role. “My belief is that 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 message you convey.”

Arteta continued, commending the unwavering support from the board and owners, while singling out the team's buy-in as most crucial. “At the end, the critical component are those players... Over this half-decade, I’ve seen just players with a level of attention, hunger for knowledge and dedicate themselves to the team.”

Squad Setbacks

The squad approaches the upcoming game managing an additional absence. Defender Ben White has been declared unavailable with a hamstring injury that is likely to sideline him for the coming weeks.

Evolved Priorities

Regardless of the injury crisis and the immense scrutiny, Arteta is confident the club's “objectives and communication” are vastly different from when he began his reign.

He pointed to the squad's displays as evidence of progress. “Consider the performances, all the club records that were shattered... We still haven’t managed to do that [win trophies]. But that shows the level we are at.”

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