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Ahead of marking his six-year milestone in charge, Mikel Arteta has made it clear that his longevity in North London is fundamentally dependent to delivering trophies.

Reflecting on: Six Years in Charge

Arteta was appointed on the 20th of December in 2019 and soon guided the team to an FA Cup victory within months. But, that first major trophy remains his only significant piece of silverware following the departure of Unai Emery.

“Yes,” he stated when questioned about remaining in charge after his current deal. “Yet it's about today. And numerous factors have to happen in the coming months as well to deserve that opportunity.”

This weekend sees the landmark with a match versus Everton, the very same club Arsenal met immediately following his hiring was confirmed.

League Position and Pressure

As trailing Manchester City taking on West Ham in an earlier kick-off, Arsenal could be displaced first place in the Premier League before their own match begins. This situation arises despite Arteta overseeing a squad that has been plagued by in excess of one hundred injury setbacks since the start of last season.

He is under a contract with 18 months to run on the deal he signed in 2024, however, he knows that results must come sooner rather than later.

Survival in the Job

The manager expanded, emphasizing the ongoing need to justify his role. “In my view a manager must deserve the right to be here tomorrow. And that depends on how you react, how you communicate, how you step into the dressing room, the signal you send.”

He added, commending the strong backing from the board and owners, yet identifying 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 degree of commitment, desire to learn and give the maximum to the team.”

Squad Setbacks

The team faces the upcoming game coping with an additional absence. Defender Ben White has been declared unavailable with a hamstring injury that is expected to see him miss action for several weeks.

Evolved Priorities

Regardless of the availability issues and the high-stakes environment, Arteta feels the club's “objectives and communication” are vastly different from when he began his reign.

The manager referenced the record-breaking achievements as a sign they are nearing their goal. “You look at the performances, all the records that we... were breaking... We still have yet to do that [win trophies]. But that shows the standard we operate at.”

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