🔗 Share this article

Ahead of marking his half-decade plus one year as manager, Mikel Arteta has stated plainly that his longevity in North London is fundamentally dependent to achieving success.

Reflecting on: From Appointment to Present

The former Arsenal captain assumed control on December 20th, 2019 and promptly led the team to an FA Cup victory within months. But, that first major trophy is still his sole major honor following the departure of Unai Emery.

“Yes,” Arteta responded when questioned about his future past 2027. “However, it is about today. And a lot of things need to fall into place in the coming months as well to earn the right.”

He will mark the landmark with a match versus Everton, the very same club Arsenal met just after his hiring was confirmed.

League Position and Pressure

As chasing Manchester City taking on West Ham in an earlier kick-off, Arsenal face being knocked off first place in the Premier League for the first time. This comes notwithstanding Arteta overseeing a squad that has been plagued by more than a century of fitness issues over the course of last season.

He currently has 18 months to run on the contract he inked in 2024, but is acutely aware that results must come in the immediate future.

Survival in the Job

Arteta elaborated, stressing the ongoing need to validate his position. “In my view a manager needs to warrant the right to be here tomorrow. And that depends on how you react, how you talk here, how you step into the dressing room, the instructions you give.”

He added, expressing gratitude for the consistent faith from the hierarchy, but pinpointing the team's buy-in as paramount. “In the final analysis, the key individuals are those players... For six years, I’ve seen just players with a standard of focus, hunger for knowledge and dedicate themselves to the team.”

Injury Concerns

The team approaches the Everton match coping with an additional absence. Defender Ben White has been declared unavailable with a hamstring injury that is expected to sideline him for the coming weeks.

A Different Club

Regardless of the availability issues and the immense scrutiny, Arteta is confident the club's “objectives and communication” are vastly different from when he began his reign.

He pointed to 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 been able to do that [win trophies]. But that indicates the level we are at.”

Arteta concluded, “That is a level that the Premier League has not seen before in the past. And our aim is to achieve more lofty ambitions. And if we do that, I think we are on the proper course to winning.”