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Ahead of marking his sixth anniversary as manager, Mikel Arteta has made it clear that his future at Arsenal is fundamentally dependent to achieving success.

A Look Back: The Arteta Era

The former Arsenal captain was appointed on December 20th, 2019 and soon guided the team to an FA Cup triumph within months. Yet, that early success stands as his lone top-tier trophy after taking over from Unai Emery.

“Yes,” the manager said in response to a query about staying beyond 2027. “Yet it's about today. And a lot of things have to happen in the next few months as well to earn the right.”

This weekend sees the six-year milestone with a fixture against Everton, the identical team Arsenal played immediately following his hiring was confirmed.

League Position and Pressure

Given that chasing Manchester City set to face West Ham in an earlier kick-off, Arsenal face being knocked off the summit in the Premier League prior to their fixture. This comes even with Arteta presiding over a squad that has endured over 100 injuries from the beginning of last season.

The manager is tied down by 18 months to run on the deal he signed in 2024, yet understands fully that results must come in the immediate future.

Survival in the Job

The manager expanded, highlighting the daily requirement to justify his role. “In my view a manager has to earn the right to be here tomorrow. And that’s how how you react, how you address the media, how you step into the dressing room, the message you convey.”

He added, commending the unwavering support from the club's ownership, yet identifying the players' commitment as paramount. “At the end, the most important ones are those players... During my tenure, I’ve seen just players with a level of attention, willingness to improve and give their all to the team.”

Latest Fitness Blow

The squad approaches the weekend fixture coping with yet another injury. Defender Ben White has been declared unavailable with a strain that is expected to see him miss action for a few weeks.

A Different Club

Despite the fitness woes and the immense scrutiny, Arteta believes the club's “objectives and communication” are vastly different from when he initially took over.

He pointed to the record-breaking achievements 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 standard we operate at.”

In closing, the manager stated, “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 right path to winning.”