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Ahead of marking his half-decade plus one year at the helm, Mikel Arteta has made it clear that his future at Arsenal is inextricably linked to delivering trophies.

Reflecting on: From Appointment to Present

Arteta was appointed on December 20th, 2019 and managed to steer the team to an FA Cup triumph within months. Yet, that first major trophy remains his only top-tier trophy after taking over from Unai Emery.

“I can,” he stated upon being asked about staying beyond 2027. “However, it is about today. And numerous factors need to fall into place in the coming months as well to warrant that continuation.”

This weekend sees the six-year milestone with a match versus Everton, the identical team Arsenal faced immediately following his appointment was announced.

Present Challenges

As second-placed Manchester City playing against West Ham on Saturday afternoon, Arsenal face being knocked off the summit in the Premier League for the first time. This situation arises despite Arteta overseeing a squad that has suffered more than a century of fitness issues over the course of last season.

He is tied down by a year and a half left on the deal he signed in 2024, but is acutely aware that success is required promptly.

The Manager's Mandate

He went on to explain, stressing the constant necessity to prove his worth. “In my view a manager must deserve the right to be here tomorrow. And that’s how how you react, how you address the media, how you go into the dressing room, the signal you send.”

Arteta continued, praising the consistent faith from the board and owners, but pinpointing the team's buy-in as paramount. “Ultimately, the key individuals are those players... For six years, I’ve seen just players with a standard of focus, willingness to improve and give their all to the team.”

Injury Concerns

The squad heads into the upcoming game coping with a fresh setback. Defender Ben White has been ruled out with a hamstring injury that is likely to sideline him for several weeks.

A Different Club

Regardless of the injury crisis and the high-stakes environment, Arteta is confident the club's “priorities and messaging” are vastly different from when he initially took over.

He pointed to the record-breaking achievements as proof they are close. “Examine the performances, all the historical marks we surpassed... We still haven’t managed to do that [win trophies]. But that shows the standard we operate at.”

In closing, the manager stated, “That is a level that the Premier League has not seen before in the past. And our ambition is to achieve even higher goals. And if we do that, I think we are on the right path to winning.”