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Ahead of marking his six-year milestone in charge, Mikel Arteta has stated plainly that his future at Arsenal is directly connected to winning major honors.

Reflecting on: From Appointment to Present

Arteta was appointed on 20 December 2019 and soon guided the team to an FA Cup victory within months. But, that initial silverware remains his only top-tier trophy following the departure of Unai Emery.

“Yes,” Arteta responded in response to a query about remaining in charge after his current deal. “But it’s about today. And numerous factors must occur in the near future as well to warrant that continuation.”

This weekend sees the landmark with a match versus Everton, the very same club Arsenal played just after his hiring was confirmed.

The Current Landscape

With trailing Manchester City taking on West Ham in an earlier kick-off, Arsenal risk losing first place in the Premier League for the first time. This comes even with Arteta presiding over a squad that has been plagued by over 100 injuries over the course of last season.

The manager currently has 18 months to run on the deal he signed in 2024, but is acutely aware that results must come in the immediate future.

Earning the Right

Arteta elaborated, stressing the constant necessity to validate his position. “My belief is that a manager needs to warrant the right to be here tomorrow. And that’s how how you react, how you communicate, how you go into the dressing room, the message you convey.”

Arteta continued, commending the unwavering support from the hierarchy, yet identifying the team's buy-in as the key factor. “In the final analysis, the critical component are those players... During my tenure, I’ve seen just players with a level of attention, hunger for knowledge and give their all to the team.”

Injury Concerns

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

A Different Club

Even with the fitness woes and the high-stakes environment, Arteta is confident the club's “focus and dialogue” are vastly different from when he initially took over.

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

He finished by saying, “It represents a quality that the Premier League has not seen before in the past. And our aim is to achieve even higher goals. And if we do that, I think we are on the right path to winning.”