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As he approaches his sixth anniversary as manager, Mikel Arteta has made it clear that his continued role with the club is fundamentally dependent to achieving success.

A Look Back: From Appointment to Present

The Spanish coach was appointed on the 20th of December in 2019 and managed to steer the team to an FA Cup victory a short time later. Yet, that initial silverware stands as his sole major honor after taking over from Unai Emery.

“Absolutely,” the manager said in response to a query about his future past 2027. “But it’s about today. And numerous factors need to fall into place in the near future as well to earn the right.”

This weekend sees the six-year milestone with a fixture against Everton, the very same club Arsenal faced immediately following his hiring was confirmed.

League Position and Pressure

As chasing Manchester City playing against West Ham on Saturday afternoon, Arsenal risk losing the summit in the Premier League before their own match begins. This situation arises notwithstanding Arteta presiding over a squad that has endured over 100 injuries over the course of last season.

Arteta currently has 18 months to run on the deal he signed in 2024, however, he knows that he must deliver sooner rather than later.

Survival in the Job

He went on to explain, stressing the daily requirement to validate his position. “My belief is that a manager needs to warrant the right to be here tomorrow. And that’s how how you react, how you communicate, how you enter the dressing room, the signal you send.”

Arteta continued, expressing gratitude for the unwavering support from the board and owners, but pinpointing 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 standard of focus, willingness to improve and dedicate themselves to the team.”

Injury Concerns

The team heads into the upcoming game managing yet another injury. Defender Ben White has been sidelined with a muscle problem that is expected to sideline him for several weeks.

Confidence in the Path

Despite the availability issues and the immense scrutiny, Arteta feels the club's “objectives and communication” are vastly different from when he began his reign.

He pointed to the record-breaking achievements as proof they are close. “Consider the performances, all the club records that were shattered... We still haven’t managed to do that [win trophies]. But that tells you 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 proper course to winning.”