On the eve of his sixth anniversary at the helm, Mikel Arteta has made it clear that his continued role with the club is fundamentally dependent to achieving success.
Arteta was appointed on 20 December 2019 and managed to steer the team to an FA Cup triumph within months. Yet, that early success is still his sole top-tier trophy after taking over from Unai Emery.
“Yes,” Arteta responded upon being asked about his future past 2027. “However, it is about today. And numerous factors must occur in the near future as well to earn the right.”
He will mark the landmark with a game facing Everton, the exact opponent Arsenal played the day after his role was made public.
With chasing Manchester City taking on West Ham on Saturday afternoon, Arsenal could be displaced first place in the Premier League prior to their fixture. This situation arises even with Arteta managing a squad that has endured over 100 injuries since the start of last season.
Arteta currently has a year and a half left on the contract he inked in 2024, but is acutely aware that success is required sooner rather than later.
The manager expanded, highlighting the constant necessity to justify his role. “I think a manager needs to warrant 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, expressing gratitude for the strong backing from the club's ownership, yet identifying the squad's dedication as paramount. “At the end, the critical component are those players... For six years, I’ve seen just players with a degree of commitment, willingness to improve and dedicate themselves to the team.”
The team approaches the upcoming game managing yet another injury. Defender Ben White has been ruled out with a strain that is expected to see him miss action for the coming weeks.
Regardless of the availability issues and the immense scrutiny, Arteta is confident the club's “priorities and messaging” are completely changed from when he began his reign.
Arteta highlighted the squad's displays as evidence of progress. “Examine the performances, all the club records that were shattered... We still haven't been able to do that [win trophies]. But that shows the caliber we've reached.”
Arteta concluded, “This is a standard that the Premier League has not witnessed in the past. And our aim is to achieve even higher goals. And if we do that, I think we are on the proper course to winning.”
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