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

Reflecting on: The Arteta Era

Arteta took over on December 20th, 2019 and managed to steer the team to an FA Cup victory within months. 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 remaining in charge after his current deal. “However, it is about today. And numerous factors must occur in the next few months as well to deserve that opportunity.”

This weekend sees the six-year milestone with a match versus Everton, the very same club Arsenal faced the day after his role was made public.

Present Challenges

As trailing Manchester City taking on West Ham earlier in the day, Arsenal risk losing the summit in the Premier League for the first time. This potential shift despite Arteta presiding over a squad that has suffered in excess of one hundred injury setbacks over the course of last season.

Arteta is under a contract with 18 months to run on the extension he agreed to in 2024, yet understands fully that results must come in the immediate future.

The Manager's Mandate

The manager expanded, highlighting the ongoing need to justify his role. “I think a manager has to earn the right to be here tomorrow. And that depends on how you react, how you address the media, how you enter the dressing room, the signal you send.”

He added, praising the consistent faith from the hierarchy, while singling out the squad's dedication as most crucial. “At the end, the most important ones are those players... Over this half-decade, I’ve seen just players with a standard of focus, hunger for knowledge and dedicate themselves to the team.”

Latest Fitness Blow

Arsenal faces the weekend fixture managing an additional absence. Defender Ben White has been declared unavailable with a strain that is likely to sideline him for a few weeks.

A Different Club

Despite the injury crisis and the immense scrutiny, Arteta is confident the club's “priorities and messaging” are vastly different from when he began his reign.

He pointed to the squad's displays as evidence of progress. “Examine the performances, all the historical marks we surpassed... We still haven't been able to do that [win trophies]. But that shows the caliber we've reached.”

He finished by saying, “That is a level that the Premier League has not seen before in the past. And our ambition is to achieve greater objectives. And if we do that, I think we are on the proper course to winning.”