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As he approaches his sixth anniversary in charge, Mikel Arteta has made it clear that his longevity in North London is fundamentally dependent to delivering trophies.

The Journey So Far: Six Years in Charge

The former Arsenal captain took over on 20 December 2019 and managed to steer the team to an cup win a short time later. But, that initial silverware stands as his lone major honor after taking over from Unai Emery.

“Yes,” he stated when questioned about his future past 2027. “But it’s about today. And a lot of things have to happen in the near future as well to deserve that opportunity.”

Saturday night brings the six-year milestone with a match versus Everton, the very same club Arsenal faced the day after his role was made public.

League Position and Pressure

With second-placed Manchester City taking on West Ham on Saturday afternoon, Arsenal face being knocked off the summit in the Premier League before their own match begins. This potential shift notwithstanding Arteta presiding over a squad that has endured over 100 injuries since the start of last season.

The manager currently has a year and a half left on the contract he inked in 2024, however, he knows that he must deliver in the immediate future.

Earning the Right

Arteta elaborated, emphasizing the constant necessity to validate his position. “I think a manager has to earn the right to be here tomorrow. And that depends on how you react, how you talk here, how you enter the dressing room, the message you convey.”

He added, expressing gratitude for the unwavering support from the club's ownership, while singling out the squad's dedication as the key factor. “Ultimately, the critical component are those players... During my tenure, I’ve seen just players with a level of attention, willingness to improve and give the maximum to the team.”

Squad Setbacks

The squad heads into the weekend fixture coping with yet another injury. Defender Ben White has been declared unavailable with a strain that is anticipated to see him miss action for the coming weeks.

Confidence in the Path

Despite the availability issues and the immense scrutiny, Arteta is confident the club's “objectives and communication” are completely changed from when he first arrived.

The manager referenced the squad's displays as evidence of progress. “Consider the performances, all the records that we... were breaking... We still haven’t managed to do that [win trophies]. But that shows the standard we operate at.”

He finished by saying, “This is a standard that the Premier League has not seen before in the past. And we want to achieve more lofty ambitions. And if we do that, I think we are on the right path to winning.”