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On the eve of his sixth anniversary in charge, Mikel Arteta has made it clear that his future at Arsenal is directly connected to winning major honors.

The Journey So Far: The Arteta Era

Arteta assumed control on 20 December 2019 and soon guided the team to an FA Cup victory a short time later. However, that early success remains his only top-tier trophy following the departure of Unai Emery.

“Yes,” 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 next few months as well to warrant that continuation.”

This weekend sees the landmark with a fixture against Everton, the very same club Arsenal played the day after his hiring was confirmed.

The Current Landscape

Given that trailing Manchester City taking on West Ham on Saturday afternoon, Arsenal face being knocked off top spot in the Premier League for the first time. This comes despite Arteta managing a squad that has endured more than a century of fitness issues over the course of last season.

The manager currently has a year and a half left on the extension he agreed to in 2024, however, he knows that results must come promptly.

Survival in the Job

He went on to explain, stressing the daily requirement to justify his role. “I think 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 step into the dressing room, the message you convey.”

He added, expressing gratitude for the consistent faith from the hierarchy, yet identifying the players' commitment as most crucial. “In the final analysis, the critical component are those players... During my tenure, I’ve seen just players with a standard of focus, desire to learn and give their all to the team.”

Injury Concerns

The team heads into the weekend fixture coping with yet another injury. Defender Ben White has been declared unavailable with a hamstring injury that is anticipated to see him miss action for the coming weeks.

Evolved Priorities

Even with the injury crisis and the intense pressure, Arteta feels the club's “priorities and messaging” are vastly different from when he initially took over.

Arteta highlighted the squad's displays as proof they are close. “You look at 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.”

He finished by saying, “It represents a quality that the Premier League has never experienced in the past. And our aim is to achieve greater objectives. And if we do that, I think we are on the proper course to winning.”