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As he approaches his sixth anniversary in charge, Mikel Arteta has made it clear that his future at Arsenal is directly connected to winning major honors.

A Look Back: The Arteta Era

The former Arsenal captain was appointed on December 20th, 2019 and soon guided the team to an cup win within months. Yet, that first major trophy remains his sole major honor following the departure of Unai Emery.

“Absolutely,” the manager said in response to a query about his future past 2027. “Yet it's about today. And many things have to happen in the near future as well to earn the right.”

This weekend sees the six-year milestone with a game facing Everton, the very same club Arsenal faced the day after his role was made public.

Present Challenges

As second-placed Manchester City set to face West Ham in an earlier kick-off, Arsenal risk losing top spot in the Premier League before their own match begins. This comes despite Arteta presiding over a squad that has endured over 100 injuries since the start of last season.

He currently has 18 months to run on the deal he signed in 2024, however, he knows that he must deliver in the immediate future.

Survival in the Job

Arteta elaborated, highlighting the constant necessity to justify his role. “I think a manager must deserve the right to be here tomorrow. And that depends on how you react, how you communicate, how you go into the dressing room, the signal you send.”

Arteta continued, commending the strong backing from the hierarchy, but pinpointing the players' commitment as most crucial. “At the end, the critical component are those players... Over this half-decade, I’ve seen just players with a level of attention, desire to learn and dedicate themselves to the team.”

Squad Setbacks

Arsenal heads into the Everton match dealing with an additional absence. Defender Ben White has been declared unavailable with a hamstring injury that is expected to sideline him for a few weeks.

Confidence in the Path

Even with the injury crisis and the intense pressure, Arteta believes the club's “objectives and communication” are profoundly distinct from when he first arrived.

The manager referenced the record-breaking achievements as evidence of progress. “You look at the performances, all the club records that were shattered... We still haven't been able to do that [win trophies]. But that indicates the level we are at.”

He finished by saying, “It represents a quality that the Premier League has not witnessed in the past. And our aim is to achieve more lofty ambitions. And if we do that, I think we are on the proper course to winning.”