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As he approaches his six-year milestone at the helm, Mikel Arteta has stated plainly that his future at Arsenal is directly connected to delivering trophies.

The Journey So Far: From Appointment to Present

The Spanish coach took over on December 20th, 2019 and managed to steer the team to an FA Cup victory not long after. Yet, that early success remains his sole top-tier trophy since succeeding Unai Emery.

“I can,” the manager said in response to a query about remaining in charge after his current deal. “However, it is about today. And a lot of things need to fall into place in the next few months as well to earn the right.”

Saturday night brings the six-year milestone with a match versus Everton, the exact opponent Arsenal faced the day after his appointment was announced.

League Position and Pressure

As chasing Manchester City playing against West Ham earlier in the day, Arsenal could be displaced first place in the Premier League before their own match begins. This potential shift despite Arteta presiding over a squad that has suffered over 100 injuries from the beginning of last season.

Arteta is tied down by a year and a half left on the deal he signed in 2024, however, he knows that success is required in the immediate future.

Survival in the Job

Arteta elaborated, highlighting the daily requirement to validate his position. “My belief is that a manager needs to warrant the right to be here tomorrow. And that is determined by how you react, how you talk here, 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 paramount. “In the final analysis, the critical component are those players... Over this half-decade, I’ve seen just players with a degree of commitment, willingness to improve and dedicate themselves to the team.”

Latest Fitness Blow

Arsenal faces the Everton match dealing with a fresh setback. Defender Ben White has been declared unavailable with a strain that is expected to see him miss action for the coming weeks.

A Different Club

Despite the availability issues and the immense scrutiny, Arteta is confident the club's “focus and dialogue” are vastly different from when he began his reign.

Arteta highlighted the record-breaking achievements as a sign they are nearing their goal. “You look at the performances, all the historical marks we surpassed... We still haven't been able to do that [win trophies]. But that shows the standard we operate at.”

In closing, the manager stated, “That is a level that the Premier League has not witnessed in the past. And we want to achieve even higher goals. And if we do that, I think we are on the right path to winning.”