The Gunners' Boss Admits Future Tenure Hinges on Securing Silverware.

Ahead of marking his sixth anniversary in charge, Mikel Arteta has stated plainly that his future at Arsenal is inextricably linked to delivering trophies.

A Look Back: From Appointment to Present

Arteta was appointed on 20 December 2019 and managed to steer the team to an FA Cup victory a short time later. Yet, that first major trophy remains his sole major honor following the departure of Unai Emery.

“I can,” he stated upon being asked about remaining in charge after his current deal. “However, it is about today. And many things must occur in the near future as well to warrant that continuation.”

This weekend sees the anniversary with a fixture against Everton, the exact opponent Arsenal played the day after his appointment was announced.

The Current Landscape

As trailing Manchester City taking on West Ham in an earlier kick-off, Arsenal face being knocked off the summit in the Premier League prior to their fixture. This comes even with Arteta overseeing a squad that has endured more than a century of fitness issues from the beginning of last season.

The manager is under a contract with 18 months to run on the contract he inked in 2024, but is acutely aware that success is required in the immediate future.

Earning the Right

He went on to explain, highlighting the daily requirement to validate his position. “In my view a manager has to earn the right to be here tomorrow. And that depends on how you react, how you communicate, how you go into the dressing room, the message you convey.”

Arteta continued, praising the unwavering support from the board and owners, while singling out the squad's dedication as most crucial. “At the end, the most important ones are those players... For six years, I’ve seen just players with a standard of focus, hunger for knowledge and give their all to the team.”

Latest Fitness Blow

The squad approaches the Everton match managing an additional absence. Defender Ben White has been sidelined with a hamstring injury that is likely to sideline him for several weeks.

Evolved Priorities

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

Arteta highlighted the team's performances as evidence of progress. “You look at the performances, all the club records that were shattered... We still haven’t managed to do that [win trophies]. But that shows the caliber we've reached.”

Arteta concluded, “It represents a quality that the Premier League has not witnessed in the past. And our ambition is to achieve more lofty ambitions. And if we do that, I think we are on the correct trajectory to winning.”