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As he approaches his sixth anniversary as manager, Mikel Arteta has stated plainly that his longevity in North London is directly connected to winning major honors.

A Look Back: The Arteta Era

Arteta was appointed on 20 December 2019 and soon guided the team to an cup win a short time later. However, that early success remains his lone major honor since succeeding Unai Emery.

“Absolutely,” the manager said when questioned about his future past 2027. “Yet it's about today. And numerous factors need to fall into place in the near future as well to deserve that opportunity.”

This weekend sees the six-year milestone with a game facing Everton, the identical team Arsenal played the day after his role was made public.

Present Challenges

Given that chasing Manchester City playing against West Ham in an earlier kick-off, Arsenal could be displaced top spot in the Premier League before their own match begins. This potential shift even with Arteta managing a squad that has suffered over 100 injuries over the course of last season.

Arteta currently has 18 months to run on the extension he agreed to in 2024, however, he knows that results must come in the immediate future.

Earning the Right

The manager expanded, highlighting the constant necessity to justify his role. “In my view a manager has to earn the right to be here tomorrow. And that depends on how you react, how you talk here, how you step into the dressing room, the message you convey.”

Arteta continued, praising the strong backing from the club's ownership, while singling out the team's buy-in as the key factor. “Ultimately, 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.”

Latest Fitness Blow

The team faces the Everton match managing an additional absence. Defender Ben White has been declared unavailable with a hamstring injury that is likely to keep him out for the coming weeks.

Confidence in the Path

Regardless of the fitness woes and the intense pressure, Arteta is confident the club's “focus and dialogue” are vastly different from when he began his reign.

Arteta highlighted the squad's displays as a sign they are nearing their goal. “Consider the performances, all the records that we... were breaking... We still haven't been able to do that [win trophies]. But that indicates the level we are at.”

Arteta concluded, “That is a level that the Premier League has never experienced in the past. And we want to achieve even higher goals. And if we do that, I think we are on the proper course to winning.”