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On the eve of his sixth anniversary in charge, Mikel Arteta has made it clear that his continued role with the club is inextricably linked to achieving success.

The Journey So Far: Six Years in Charge

The former Arsenal captain assumed control on the 20th of December in 2019 and managed to steer the team to an FA Cup victory a short time later. But, that first major trophy remains his sole major honor after taking over from Unai Emery.

“Absolutely,” the manager said in response to a query about remaining in charge after his current deal. “However, it is about today. And numerous factors must occur in the near future as well to earn the right.”

He will mark the six-year milestone with a game facing Everton, the identical team Arsenal faced the day after his appointment was announced.

The Current Landscape

With trailing Manchester City taking on West Ham earlier in the day, Arsenal risk losing first place in the Premier League before their own match begins. This comes despite Arteta presiding over a squad that has suffered more than a century of fitness issues from the beginning of last season.

He currently has 18 months to run on the contract he inked in 2024, yet understands fully that results must come sooner rather than later.

Survival in the Job

Arteta elaborated, highlighting the daily requirement to validate his position. “In my view a manager needs to warrant the right to be here tomorrow. And that is determined by how you react, how you communicate, how you go into the dressing room, the signal you send.”

Arteta continued, praising the unwavering support from the board and owners, yet identifying the team's buy-in as the key factor. “At the end, the most important ones are those players... For six years, I’ve seen just players with a level of attention, hunger for knowledge and give their all to the team.”

Squad Setbacks

Arsenal faces the weekend fixture coping with a fresh setback. Defender Ben White has been declared unavailable with a muscle problem that is expected to sideline him for several weeks.

Confidence in the Path

Despite the fitness woes and the intense pressure, Arteta feels the club's “objectives and communication” are completely changed from when he began his reign.

Arteta highlighted the record-breaking achievements as a sign they are nearing their goal. “Examine the performances, all the historical marks we surpassed... We still haven’t managed to do that [win trophies]. But that indicates the standard we operate at.”

He finished by saying, “It represents a quality that the Premier League has never experienced in the past. And we want to achieve greater objectives. And if we do that, I think we are on the proper course to winning.”