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As he approaches his six-year milestone in charge, Mikel Arteta has admitted that his longevity in North London is inextricably linked to achieving success.

A Look Back: From Appointment to Present

The former Arsenal captain assumed control on the 20th of December in 2019 and promptly led the team to an FA Cup triumph a short time later. However, that initial silverware is still his only major honor since succeeding Unai Emery.

“Yes,” he stated upon being asked about his future past 2027. “But it’s about today. And a lot of things need to fall into place in the coming months as well to deserve that opportunity.”

He will mark the landmark with a game facing Everton, the very same club Arsenal faced the day after his role was made public.

Present Challenges

Given that second-placed Manchester City playing against West Ham in an earlier kick-off, Arsenal could be displaced the summit in the Premier League for the first time. This comes notwithstanding Arteta presiding over a squad that has suffered over 100 injuries 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

He went on to explain, highlighting the daily requirement to prove his worth. “My belief is that 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.”

He added, praising the consistent faith from the club's ownership, yet identifying the squad's dedication as most crucial. “In the final analysis, the most important ones are those players... During my tenure, I’ve seen just players with a standard of focus, hunger for knowledge and give their all to the team.”

Squad Setbacks

The squad faces the weekend fixture managing yet another injury. Defender Ben White has been sidelined with a strain that is expected to keep him out for the coming weeks.

A Different Club

Regardless of the availability issues and the immense scrutiny, Arteta is confident the club's “focus and dialogue” are completely changed from when he initially took over.

Arteta highlighted the squad's displays as evidence of progress. “Consider the performances, all the records that we... were breaking... We still have yet 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 never experienced 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.”