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As he approaches his sixth anniversary as manager, Mikel Arteta has stated plainly that his continued role with the club is directly connected to achieving success.

A Look Back: The Arteta Era

Arteta took over on 20 December 2019 and managed to steer the team to an FA Cup triumph a short time later. But, that first major trophy is still his sole top-tier trophy since succeeding Unai Emery.

“Absolutely,” Arteta responded in response to a query about his future past 2027. “Yet it's about today. And many things need to fall into place in the coming months as well to warrant that continuation.”

This weekend sees the six-year milestone with a match versus Everton, the exact opponent Arsenal played the day after his hiring was confirmed.

The Current Landscape

Given that trailing Manchester City set to face West Ham earlier in the day, Arsenal face being knocked off the summit in the Premier League before their own match begins. This potential shift despite Arteta managing a squad that has suffered more than a century of fitness issues from the beginning of last season.

He is under a contract with 18 months remaining on the deal he signed in 2024, but is acutely aware that he must deliver promptly.

The Manager's Mandate

He went on to explain, highlighting the ongoing need to prove his worth. “My belief is that a manager must deserve the right to be here tomorrow. And that’s how how you react, how you talk here, how you go into the dressing room, the signal you send.”

Arteta continued, commending the unwavering support from the board and owners, yet identifying the team's buy-in as the key factor. “At the end, the most important ones are those players... For six years, I’ve seen just players with a degree of commitment, willingness to improve and dedicate themselves to the team.”

Injury Concerns

The squad faces the Everton match managing yet another injury. Defender Ben White has been sidelined with a muscle problem that is anticipated to see him miss action for the coming weeks.

A Different Club

Regardless of the availability issues and the intense pressure, Arteta believes the club's “focus and dialogue” are vastly different from when he first arrived.

The manager referenced the squad's displays as proof they are close. “Examine the performances, all the records that we... were breaking... We still haven't been able to do that [win trophies]. But that tells you the caliber we've reached.”

In closing, the manager stated, “This is a standard that the Premier League has never experienced 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.”