🔗 Share this article

On the eve of his sixth anniversary in charge, Mikel Arteta has admitted that his longevity in North London is fundamentally dependent to achieving success.

A Look Back: The Arteta Era

Arteta took over on December 20th, 2019 and soon guided the team to an FA Cup triumph not long after. Yet, that initial silverware stands as his only significant piece of silverware after taking over from Unai Emery.

“Absolutely,” the manager said upon being asked about staying beyond 2027. “Yet it's about today. And many things need to fall into place in the next few months as well to deserve that opportunity.”

He will mark the anniversary with a fixture against Everton, the identical team Arsenal faced just after his role was made public.

The Current Landscape

As second-placed Manchester City taking on West Ham in an earlier kick-off, Arsenal face being knocked off top spot in the Premier League prior to their fixture. This potential shift notwithstanding Arteta presiding over a squad that has suffered over 100 injuries since the start of last season.

The manager is under a contract with 18 months remaining on the contract he inked in 2024, but is acutely aware that he must deliver sooner rather than later.

Survival in the Job

The manager expanded, highlighting the constant necessity to prove his worth. “I think a manager needs to warrant the right to be here tomorrow. And that’s how how you react, how you talk here, how you go into the dressing room, the message you convey.”

Arteta continued, expressing gratitude for the strong backing from the board and owners, but pinpointing the team's buy-in as the key factor. “At the end, the key individuals are those players... Over this half-decade, I’ve seen just players with a standard of focus, willingness to improve and give their all to the team.”

Squad Setbacks

Arsenal heads into the weekend fixture coping with an additional absence. Defender Ben White has been declared unavailable with a muscle problem that is likely to sideline him for the coming weeks.

Evolved Priorities

Regardless of the fitness woes and the high-stakes environment, Arteta believes the club's “objectives and communication” are profoundly distinct from when he initially took over.

Arteta highlighted the squad's displays as a sign they are nearing their goal. “Consider the performances, all the records that we... were breaking... We still have yet to do that [win trophies]. But that indicates the level we are at.”

He finished by saying, “That is a level that the Premier League has never experienced 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.”