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Ahead of marking his half-decade plus one year in charge, Mikel Arteta has stated plainly that his future at Arsenal is fundamentally dependent to delivering trophies.

The Journey So Far: From Appointment to Present

The former Arsenal captain assumed control on 20 December 2019 and promptly led the team to an FA Cup triumph not long after. However, that early success remains his sole top-tier trophy since succeeding Unai Emery.

“Absolutely,” 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.”

He will mark the landmark with a match versus Everton, the identical team Arsenal met the day after his appointment was announced.

Present Challenges

As second-placed Manchester City taking on West Ham on Saturday afternoon, Arsenal face being knocked off first place in the Premier League for the first time. This comes despite Arteta managing a squad that has endured over 100 injuries from the beginning of last season.

Arteta is tied down by a year and a half left on the contract he inked in 2024, however, he knows that success is required sooner rather than later.

The Manager's Mandate

The manager expanded, stressing the constant necessity to prove his worth. “I think a manager has to earn the right to be here tomorrow. And that is determined by how you react, how you address the media, how you go into the dressing room, the signal you send.”

He added, expressing gratitude for the consistent faith from the club's ownership, but pinpointing the team's buy-in as paramount. “In the final analysis, the critical component are those players... During my tenure, I’ve seen just players with a degree of commitment, willingness to improve and give the maximum to the team.”

Latest Fitness Blow

The squad heads into the weekend fixture coping with a fresh setback. Defender Ben White has been sidelined with a hamstring injury that is likely to see him miss action for the coming weeks.

A Different Club

Even with the availability issues and the high-stakes environment, Arteta believes the club's “priorities and messaging” are vastly different from when he first arrived.

Arteta highlighted the team's performances as evidence of progress. “Consider the performances, all the historical marks we surpassed... We still haven’t managed to do that [win trophies]. But that shows the level we are at.”

Arteta concluded, “This is a standard that the Premier League has not witnessed in the past. And our aim is to achieve even higher goals. And if we do that, I think we are on the proper course to winning.”