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On the eve of his six-year milestone as manager, Mikel Arteta has admitted that his longevity in North London is fundamentally dependent to winning major honors.

The Journey So Far: From Appointment to Present

The Spanish coach took over on December 20th, 2019 and promptly led the team to an FA Cup triumph not long after. But, that early success is still his only significant piece of silverware after taking over from Unai Emery.

“Yes,” he stated when questioned about his future past 2027. “But it’s about today. And many things must occur in the near future as well to earn the right.”

This weekend sees the six-year milestone with a game facing Everton, the exact opponent Arsenal faced immediately following his role was made public.

The Current Landscape

Given that chasing Manchester City playing against West Ham earlier in the day, Arsenal could be displaced first place in the Premier League before their own match begins. This situation arises despite Arteta managing a squad that has endured more than a century of fitness issues since the start of last season.

The manager is tied down by 18 months remaining on the contract he inked in 2024, yet understands fully that he must deliver in the immediate future.

The Manager's Mandate

He went on to explain, emphasizing the daily requirement to validate his position. “In my view a manager has to earn the right to be here tomorrow. And that is determined by how you react, how you address the media, how you enter the dressing room, the instructions you give.”

He added, expressing gratitude for the strong backing from the board and owners, yet identifying the players' commitment as the key factor. “Ultimately, the critical component are those players... For six years, I’ve seen just players with a standard of focus, desire to learn and give their all to the team.”

Squad Setbacks

The squad faces the weekend fixture dealing with yet another injury. Defender Ben White has been declared unavailable with a hamstring injury that is expected to see him miss action for the coming weeks.

Evolved Priorities

Regardless of the availability issues and the immense scrutiny, Arteta feels the club's “focus and dialogue” are vastly different from when he initially took over.

He pointed to the team's performances as evidence of progress. “Examine the performances, all the club records that were shattered... We still have yet to do that [win trophies]. But that indicates the standard we operate at.”

He finished by saying, “It represents a quality 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 proper course to winning.”