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Ahead of marking his six-year milestone at the helm, 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

Arteta took over on December 20th, 2019 and soon guided the team to an cup win within months. But, that first major trophy remains his lone top-tier trophy after taking over from Unai Emery.

“I can,” he stated upon being asked about his future past 2027. “Yet it's about today. And a lot of things must occur in the next few months as well to deserve that opportunity.”

He will mark the six-year milestone with a match versus Everton, the very same club Arsenal met immediately following his role was made public.

Present Challenges

Given that trailing Manchester City set to face West Ham earlier in the day, Arsenal face being knocked off first place in the Premier League for the first time. This comes despite Arteta presiding over a squad that has endured over 100 injuries over the course of last season.

He is tied down by 18 months remaining on the contract he inked in 2024, however, he knows that he must deliver in the immediate future.

Earning the Right

He went on to explain, stressing the daily requirement to validate his position. “My belief is that a manager needs to warrant the right to be here tomorrow. And that depends on how you react, how you address the media, how you go into the dressing room, the signal you send.”

Arteta continued, expressing gratitude for the unwavering support from the club's ownership, yet identifying the players' commitment as paramount. “In the final analysis, the critical component are those players... For six years, I’ve seen just players with a degree of commitment, willingness to improve and give the maximum to the team.”

Injury Concerns

The squad heads into the upcoming game managing an additional absence. Defender Ben White has been declared unavailable with a hamstring injury that is expected to see him miss action for a few weeks.

Evolved Priorities

Even with the injury crisis and the intense pressure, Arteta believes the club's “priorities and messaging” are vastly different from when he first arrived.

Arteta highlighted the team's performances as proof they are close. “Examine the performances, all the club records that were shattered... We still haven't been able to do that [win trophies]. But that tells you the caliber we've reached.”

Arteta concluded, “It represents a quality that the Premier League has not witnessed in the past. And our ambition is to achieve greater objectives. And if we do that, I think we are on the proper course to winning.”