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On the eve of his sixth anniversary at the helm, Mikel Arteta has stated plainly that his future at Arsenal is directly connected to winning major honors.

A Look Back: From Appointment to Present

The Spanish coach took over on the 20th of December in 2019 and managed to steer the team to an FA Cup triumph not long after. However, that initial silverware is still his lone major honor after taking over from Unai Emery.

“Absolutely,” he stated upon being asked about staying beyond 2027. “However, it is about today. And numerous factors need to fall into place in the coming months as well to warrant that continuation.”

He will mark the landmark with a match versus Everton, the very same club Arsenal faced the day after his role was made public.

The Current Landscape

Given that trailing Manchester City taking on West Ham in an earlier kick-off, Arsenal risk losing the summit in the Premier League for the first time. This situation arises despite Arteta presiding over a squad that has endured more than a century of fitness issues over the course of last season.

He currently has 18 months remaining on the extension he agreed to in 2024, but is acutely aware that success is required sooner rather than later.

The Manager's Mandate

He went on to explain, highlighting the ongoing need to validate his position. “My belief is that a manager must deserve the right to be here tomorrow. And that is determined by how you react, how you talk here, how you enter the dressing room, the signal you send.”

He added, commending the unwavering support from the board and owners, yet identifying the team's buy-in as most crucial. “At the end, the key individuals are those players... Over this half-decade, I’ve seen just players with a degree of commitment, willingness to improve and give their all to the team.”

Squad Setbacks

Arsenal heads into the upcoming game dealing with yet another injury. Defender Ben White has been sidelined with a muscle problem that is anticipated to sideline him for a few weeks.

A Different Club

Even with the injury crisis and the high-stakes environment, Arteta believes the club's “priorities and messaging” are completely changed from when he initially took over.

He pointed to the squad's displays as a sign they are nearing their goal. “Consider the performances, all the historical marks we surpassed... We still haven't been able to do that [win trophies]. But that tells you the level we are at.”

Arteta concluded, “It represents a quality 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.”