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Ahead of marking his six-year milestone in charge, Mikel Arteta has made it clear that his longevity in North London is fundamentally dependent to winning major honors.

A Look Back: The Arteta Era

The former Arsenal captain was appointed on 20 December 2019 and soon guided the team to an FA Cup triumph not long after. However, that initial silverware is still his sole major honor following the departure of Unai Emery.

“Absolutely,” Arteta responded upon being asked about remaining in charge after his current deal. “However, it is about today. And many things have to happen in the near future as well to warrant that continuation.”

Saturday night brings the landmark with a match versus Everton, the exact opponent Arsenal met immediately following his role was made public.

The Current Landscape

As trailing Manchester City set to face West Ham earlier in the day, Arsenal face being knocked off the summit in the Premier League prior to their fixture. This situation arises despite Arteta managing a squad that has been plagued by over 100 injuries over the course of last season.

He is under a contract with a year and a half left on the contract he inked in 2024, yet understands fully that results must come sooner rather than later.

Earning the Right

The manager expanded, emphasizing the ongoing need to justify his role. “I think a manager has to earn the right to be here tomorrow. And that is determined by how you react, how you talk here, how you step into the dressing room, the message you convey.”

He stated further, expressing gratitude for the consistent faith from the hierarchy, but pinpointing the team's buy-in as most crucial. “In the final analysis, the critical component are those players... During my tenure, I’ve seen just players with a standard of focus, hunger for knowledge and give their all to the team.”

Squad Setbacks

The team approaches the weekend fixture dealing with yet another injury. Defender Ben White has been ruled out with a muscle problem that is anticipated to see him miss action for several weeks.

Confidence in the Path

Despite the injury crisis and the immense scrutiny, Arteta is confident the club's “objectives and communication” are vastly different from when he began his reign.

Arteta highlighted the record-breaking achievements as a sign they are nearing their goal. “Examine the performances, all the records that we... were breaking... We still haven’t managed to do that [win trophies]. But that indicates the caliber we've reached.”

He finished by saying, “That is a level that the Premier League has not witnessed 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.”