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Ahead of marking his six-year milestone as manager, Mikel Arteta has made it clear that his continued role with the club is fundamentally dependent to winning major honors.

Reflecting on: From Appointment to Present

Arteta took over on December 20th, 2019 and managed to steer the team to an cup win a short time later. But, that initial silverware stands as his lone top-tier trophy since succeeding Unai Emery.

“Yes,” he stated in response to a query about staying beyond 2027. “Yet it's about today. And many things must occur in the near future as well to earn the right.”

This weekend sees the anniversary with a game facing Everton, the identical team Arsenal faced the day after his role was made public.

League Position and Pressure

As chasing Manchester City set to face West Ham in an earlier kick-off, Arsenal risk losing top spot in the Premier League for the first time. This comes even with Arteta managing a squad that has been plagued by more than a century of fitness issues over the course of last season.

Arteta currently has 18 months remaining 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, stressing the constant necessity 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 message you convey.”

He added, commending the strong backing from the board and owners, yet identifying the team's buy-in as the key factor. “In the final analysis, the critical component 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.”

Injury Concerns

Arsenal approaches the weekend fixture dealing with yet another injury. Defender Ben White has been declared unavailable with a muscle problem that is likely to see him miss action for a few weeks.

Confidence in the Path

Regardless of the availability issues and the intense pressure, Arteta feels the club's “focus and dialogue” are profoundly distinct from when he initially took over.

Arteta highlighted the team's performances as proof they are close. “Consider the performances, all the historical marks we surpassed... We still haven’t managed to do that [win trophies]. But that indicates the caliber we've reached.”

In closing, the manager stated, “This is a standard that the Premier League has never experienced in the past. And our ambition is to achieve more lofty ambitions. And if we do that, I think we are on the proper course to winning.”