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As he approaches his half-decade plus one year in charge, Mikel Arteta has stated plainly that his continued role with the club is fundamentally dependent to winning major honors.

A Look Back: From Appointment to Present

Arteta took over on the 20th of December in 2019 and soon guided the team to an FA Cup triumph not long after. But, that initial silverware stands as his only top-tier trophy after taking over from Unai Emery.

“Yes,” he stated in response to a query about staying beyond 2027. “But it’s about today. And a lot of things have to happen in the near future as well to warrant that continuation.”

This weekend sees the landmark with a fixture against Everton, the exact opponent Arsenal played the day after his role was made public.

League Position and Pressure

As second-placed Manchester City set to face West Ham in an earlier kick-off, Arsenal risk losing the summit in the Premier League before their own match begins. This potential shift even with Arteta presiding over a squad that has endured more than a century of fitness issues from the beginning of last season.

The manager is under a contract with a year and a half left on the contract he inked in 2024, yet understands fully that he must deliver in the immediate future.

The Manager's Mandate

Arteta elaborated, emphasizing 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 communicate, how you step into the dressing room, the instructions you give.”

He added, expressing gratitude for the strong backing from the hierarchy, while singling out the team's buy-in as the key factor. “Ultimately, the key individuals are those players... Over this half-decade, I’ve seen just players with a level of attention, hunger for knowledge and dedicate themselves to the team.”

Injury Concerns

The team faces the weekend fixture dealing with an additional absence. Defender Ben White has been ruled out with a hamstring injury that is expected to keep him out for the coming weeks.

Confidence in the Path

Even with the fitness woes and the intense pressure, Arteta feels the club's “priorities and messaging” are completely changed from when he began his reign.

The manager referenced the squad's displays as a sign they are nearing their goal. “Consider the performances, all the records that we... were breaking... We still haven’t managed to do that [win trophies]. But that tells you the standard we operate at.”

Arteta concluded, “This is a standard that the Premier League has not witnessed 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.”