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As he approaches his sixth anniversary in charge, Mikel Arteta has admitted that his future at Arsenal is fundamentally dependent to delivering trophies.

Reflecting on: Six Years in Charge

The former Arsenal captain was appointed on 20 December 2019 and managed to steer the team to an cup win a short time later. Yet, that first major trophy remains his sole major honor since succeeding Unai Emery.

“Yes,” he stated upon being asked about remaining in charge after his current deal. “But it’s about today. And many things have to happen in the coming months as well to earn the right.”

This weekend sees the landmark with a match versus Everton, the identical team Arsenal faced immediately following his hiring was confirmed.

Present Challenges

As trailing Manchester City taking on West Ham earlier in the day, Arsenal could be displaced the summit in the Premier League before their own match begins. This situation arises despite Arteta overseeing a squad that has endured more than a century of fitness issues since the start of last season.

He is under a contract with 18 months to run on the extension he agreed to in 2024, however, he knows that success is required in the immediate future.

The Manager's Mandate

The manager expanded, stressing the constant necessity to validate his position. “My belief is that a manager needs to warrant the right to be here tomorrow. And that depends on how you react, how you talk here, how you enter the dressing room, the signal you send.”

Arteta continued, commending the unwavering support from the board and owners, but pinpointing the team's buy-in as paramount. “In the final analysis, the key individuals are those players... During my tenure, I’ve seen just players with a degree of commitment, willingness to improve and dedicate themselves to the team.”

Latest Fitness Blow

The squad approaches the weekend fixture coping with an additional absence. Defender Ben White has been declared unavailable with a muscle problem that is likely to keep him out for several weeks.

A Different Club

Regardless of the availability issues and the intense pressure, Arteta is confident the club's “focus and dialogue” are completely changed from when he initially took over.

The manager referenced the squad's displays as a sign they are nearing their goal. “You look at the performances, all the club records that were shattered... We still haven’t managed to do that [win trophies]. But that shows the caliber we've reached.”

Arteta concluded, “It represents a quality that the Premier League has not seen before in the past. And we want to achieve greater objectives. And if we do that, I think we are on the proper course to winning.”