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Ahead of marking his half-decade plus one year in charge, Mikel Arteta has admitted that his future at Arsenal is inextricably linked to achieving success.

A Look Back: From Appointment to Present

The Spanish coach took over on the 20th of December in 2019 and soon guided the team to an FA Cup victory a short time later. Yet, that early success is still his only top-tier trophy following the departure of Unai Emery.

“Absolutely,” the manager said in response to a query about staying beyond 2027. “However, it is about today. And a lot of things need to fall into place in the next few months as well to warrant that continuation.”

He will mark the six-year milestone with a fixture against Everton, the very same club Arsenal faced the day after his appointment was announced.

League Position and Pressure

As trailing Manchester City set to face West Ham earlier in the day, Arsenal could be displaced top spot in the Premier League for the first time. This situation arises notwithstanding Arteta presiding over a squad that has endured more than a century of fitness issues from the beginning of last season.

Arteta currently has a year and a half left on the extension he agreed to in 2024, however, he knows that he must deliver sooner rather than later.

The Manager's Mandate

The manager expanded, stressing the constant necessity to justify his role. “In my view a manager must deserve the right to be here tomorrow. And that depends on how you react, how you address the media, how you step into the dressing room, the instructions you give.”

Arteta continued, expressing gratitude for the strong backing from the hierarchy, but pinpointing the players' commitment as paramount. “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 give their all to the team.”

Squad Setbacks

The team heads into the Everton match dealing with yet another injury. Defender Ben White has been declared unavailable with a strain that is likely to keep him out for the coming weeks.

Confidence in the Path

Even with the fitness woes and the immense scrutiny, Arteta believes the club's “focus and dialogue” are vastly different from when he first arrived.

He pointed to the record-breaking achievements as proof they are close. “Examine the performances, all the records that we... were breaking... We still haven’t managed to do that [win trophies]. But that indicates the level we are at.”

In closing, the manager stated, “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 correct trajectory to winning.”