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As he approaches his six-year milestone in charge, Mikel Arteta has made it clear that his continued role with the club is inextricably linked to winning major honors.

A Look Back: The Arteta Era

Arteta assumed control on December 20th, 2019 and managed to steer the team to an FA Cup triumph a short time later. But, that initial silverware remains his only significant piece of silverware after taking over from Unai Emery.

“I can,” the manager said in response to a query about his future past 2027. “But it’s about today. And numerous factors have to happen in the next few months as well to earn the right.”

This weekend sees the landmark with a game facing Everton, the exact opponent Arsenal faced just after his hiring was confirmed.

League Position and Pressure

As chasing Manchester City set to face West Ham earlier in the day, Arsenal face being knocked off top spot in the Premier League before their own match begins. This situation arises even with Arteta overseeing a squad that has been plagued by over 100 injuries since the start of last season.

He currently has 18 months to run on the contract he inked in 2024, but is acutely aware that he must deliver sooner rather than later.

Earning the Right

The manager expanded, stressing 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 enter the dressing room, the message you convey.”

Arteta continued, praising the strong backing from the hierarchy, but pinpointing the team's buy-in as paramount. “Ultimately, the key individuals are those players... Over this half-decade, I’ve seen just players with a level of attention, willingness to improve and dedicate themselves to the team.”

Squad Setbacks

The team heads into the Everton match coping with an additional absence. Defender Ben White has been sidelined with a hamstring injury that is expected to see him miss action for several weeks.

A Different Club

Even with the fitness woes and the high-stakes environment, Arteta believes the club's “objectives and communication” are vastly different from when he initially took over.

Arteta highlighted the record-breaking achievements as evidence of progress. “You look at the performances, all the records that we... were breaking... We still haven't been able to do that [win trophies]. But that tells you the caliber we've reached.”

He finished by saying, “It represents a quality that the Premier League has not witnessed in the past. And we want to achieve more lofty ambitions. And if we do that, I think we are on the correct trajectory to winning.”