🔗 Share this article

As he approaches his half-decade plus one year as manager, Mikel Arteta has made it clear that his longevity in North London is directly connected to winning major honors.

The Journey So Far: From Appointment to Present

Arteta was appointed on 20 December 2019 and promptly led the team to an cup win within months. But, that first major trophy is still his lone major honor since succeeding Unai Emery.

“I can,” the manager said when questioned about his future past 2027. “Yet it's 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 match versus Everton, the very same club Arsenal faced the day after his hiring was confirmed.

League Position and Pressure

Given that trailing Manchester City set to face West Ham earlier in the day, Arsenal face being knocked off first place in the Premier League for the first time. This potential shift even with Arteta presiding over a squad that has been plagued by in excess of one hundred injury setbacks over the course of last season.

He is under a contract with 18 months remaining on the extension he agreed to in 2024, but is acutely aware that success is required in the immediate future.

Survival in the Job

He went on to explain, emphasizing the constant necessity to justify his role. “My belief is that a manager needs to warrant the right to be here tomorrow. And that is determined by how you react, how you talk here, how you enter the dressing room, the signal you send.”

He stated further, praising the strong backing from the board and owners, yet identifying the team's buy-in as most crucial. “At the end, the key individuals are those players... During my tenure, I’ve seen just players with a degree of commitment, willingness to improve and give their all to the team.”

Squad Setbacks

Arsenal heads into the weekend fixture dealing with a fresh setback. Defender Ben White has been declared unavailable with a strain that is likely to sideline him for a few weeks.

Evolved Priorities

Despite the fitness woes and the immense scrutiny, Arteta feels the club's “priorities and messaging” are vastly different from when he began his reign.

The manager referenced the squad's displays as evidence of progress. “Consider the performances, all the club records that were shattered... We still haven’t managed to do that [win trophies]. But that tells you the standard we operate at.”

In closing, the manager stated, “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 right path to winning.”