🔗 Share this article Mikel Arteta Admits Long-Term Tenure Is Tied to Winning Trophies. As he approaches his six-year milestone as manager, Mikel Arteta has stated plainly that his future at Arsenal is directly connected to winning major honors. Reflecting on: From Appointment to Present The former Arsenal captain assumed control on December 20th, 2019 and promptly led the team to an cup win a short time later. But, that initial silverware remains his lone major honor after taking over from Unai Emery. “Absolutely,” the manager said when questioned about his future past 2027. “But it’s about today. And a lot of things need to fall into place in the next few months as well to deserve that opportunity.” This weekend sees the landmark with a fixture against Everton, the exact opponent Arsenal faced the day after his appointment was announced. League Position and Pressure Given that trailing Manchester City playing against West Ham on Saturday afternoon, Arsenal could be displaced top spot in the Premier League before their own match begins. This potential shift despite Arteta presiding over a squad that has been plagued by over 100 injuries since the start of last season. The manager is under a contract with 18 months remaining on the contract he inked in 2024, but is acutely aware that results must come promptly. Survival in the Job He went on to explain, highlighting the ongoing need to validate his position. “I think a manager must deserve 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 signal you send.” Arteta continued, commending the unwavering support from the hierarchy, while singling out the team's buy-in as the key factor. “In the final analysis, the critical component are those players... Over this half-decade, I’ve seen just players with a degree of commitment, hunger for knowledge and dedicate themselves to the team.” Latest Fitness Blow The team faces the weekend fixture coping with a fresh setback. Defender Ben White has been ruled out with a muscle problem that is expected to see him miss action for the coming weeks. A Different Club Even with the availability issues and the immense scrutiny, Arteta feels the club's “objectives and communication” are vastly different from when he first arrived. The manager referenced the record-breaking achievements as a sign they are nearing their goal. “Examine the performances, all the records that we... were breaking... We still have yet to do that [win trophies]. But that tells you the caliber we've reached.” He finished by saying, “That is a level that the Premier League has never experienced in the past. And we want to achieve more lofty ambitions. And if we do that, I think we are on the right path to winning.”