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Ahead of marking his half-decade plus one year as manager, Mikel Arteta has admitted that his future at Arsenal is fundamentally dependent to achieving success.

The Journey So Far: Six Years in Charge

Arteta was appointed on 20 December 2019 and promptly led the team to an FA Cup victory a short time later. But, that early success stands as his lone top-tier trophy following the departure of Unai Emery.

“Absolutely,” Arteta responded in response to a query about his future past 2027. “Yet it's about today. And many things must occur in the next few months as well to deserve that opportunity.”

Saturday night brings the six-year milestone with a fixture against Everton, the exact opponent Arsenal played just after his appointment was announced.

League Position and Pressure

As second-placed Manchester City playing against West Ham earlier in the day, Arsenal face being knocked off top spot in the Premier League prior to their fixture. This situation arises despite Arteta presiding over a squad that has suffered over 100 injuries since the start of last season.

The manager currently has 18 months to run on the contract he inked in 2024, yet understands fully that he must deliver promptly.

Earning the Right

He went on to explain, highlighting the constant necessity to prove his worth. “My belief is that a manager has to earn the right to be here tomorrow. And that’s how how you react, how you communicate, how you go into the dressing room, the signal you send.”

He added, praising the strong backing from the board and owners, but pinpointing the squad's dedication as paramount. “Ultimately, the key individuals are those players... During my tenure, I’ve seen just players with a level of attention, desire to learn and dedicate themselves to the team.”

Squad Setbacks

The squad faces the Everton match dealing with yet another injury. Defender Ben White has been declared unavailable with a strain that is likely to keep him out for the coming weeks.

Evolved Priorities

Despite the injury crisis and the intense pressure, Arteta is confident the club's “priorities and messaging” are vastly different from when he began his reign.

He pointed to the record-breaking achievements as evidence of progress. “Consider the performances, all the historical marks we surpassed... We still haven't been able to do that [win trophies]. But that shows the level we are at.”

Arteta concluded, “This is a standard that the Premier League has not seen before in the past. And our ambition is to achieve more lofty ambitions. And if we do that, I think we are on the correct trajectory to winning.”