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On the eve of his sixth anniversary as manager, Mikel Arteta has admitted that his longevity in North London is fundamentally dependent to delivering trophies.

The Journey So Far: Six Years in Charge

The Spanish coach was appointed on 20 December 2019 and promptly led the team to an FA Cup victory a short time later. But, that early success stands as his lone significant piece of silverware following the departure of Unai Emery.

“Absolutely,” Arteta responded upon being asked about remaining in charge after his current deal. “Yet it's about today. And numerous factors have to happen in the near future as well to earn the right.”

Saturday night brings the six-year milestone with a fixture against Everton, the exact opponent Arsenal played just after his appointment was announced.

League Position and Pressure

As second-placed Manchester City playing against West Ham earlier in the day, Arsenal could be displaced the summit in the Premier League prior to their fixture. This situation arises despite Arteta presiding over a squad that has been plagued by in excess of one hundred injury setbacks from the beginning of last season.

The manager currently has 18 months to run on the contract he inked in 2024, however, he knows that results must come sooner rather than later.

The Manager's Mandate

The manager expanded, emphasizing the ongoing need to prove his worth. “My belief is that a manager needs to warrant the right to be here tomorrow. And that depends on how you react, how you address the media, how you go into the dressing room, the message you convey.”

He stated further, expressing gratitude for the unwavering support from the club's ownership, yet identifying the players' commitment as most crucial. “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 dedicate themselves to the team.”

Injury Concerns

Arsenal approaches the upcoming game dealing with an additional absence. Defender Ben White has been ruled out with a hamstring injury that is expected to keep him out for several weeks.

A Different Club

Regardless of the availability issues and the high-stakes environment, Arteta is confident the club's “focus and dialogue” are completely changed from when he initially took over.

He pointed to the record-breaking achievements as evidence of progress. “You look at the performances, all the records that we... were breaking... We still haven’t managed to do that [win trophies]. But that shows the standard we operate at.”

He finished by saying, “That is a level that the Premier League has not seen before in the past. And we want to achieve greater objectives. And if we do that, I think we are on the correct trajectory to winning.”