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On the eve of his six-year milestone in charge, Mikel Arteta has admitted that his longevity in North London is fundamentally dependent to delivering trophies.

A Look Back: From Appointment to Present

Arteta was appointed on December 20th, 2019 and managed to steer the team to an cup win not long after. But, that first major trophy is still his only top-tier trophy since succeeding Unai Emery.

“Absolutely,” he stated when questioned about his future past 2027. “However, it is about today. And a lot of things must occur in the near future as well to deserve that opportunity.”

Saturday night brings the six-year milestone with a game facing Everton, the identical team Arsenal faced immediately following his appointment was announced.

Present Challenges

As second-placed Manchester City set to face West Ham earlier in the day, Arsenal could be displaced first place in the Premier League before their own match begins. This situation arises even with Arteta overseeing a squad that has endured over 100 injuries since the start of last season.

Arteta is under a contract with a year and a half left on the contract he inked in 2024, however, he knows that results must come sooner rather than later.

Earning the Right

He went on to explain, emphasizing the daily requirement to justify his role. “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 communicate, how you step into the dressing room, the signal you send.”

Arteta continued, praising the consistent faith from the board and owners, yet identifying the players' commitment as most crucial. “At the end, the critical component are those players... For six years, I’ve seen just players with a degree of commitment, hunger for knowledge and give the maximum to the team.”

Squad Setbacks

The team faces the upcoming game managing a fresh setback. Defender Ben White has been ruled out with a hamstring injury that is expected to keep him out for the coming weeks.

Confidence in the Path

Despite the injury crisis and the immense scrutiny, Arteta feels the club's “focus and dialogue” are profoundly distinct from when he initially took over.

The manager referenced the team's performances as evidence of progress. “Consider the performances, all the historical marks we surpassed... We still have yet to do that [win trophies]. But that indicates the level we are at.”

He finished by saying, “That is a level that the Premier League has never experienced in the past. And we want to achieve even higher goals. And if we do that, I think we are on the correct trajectory to winning.”