On the eve of his half-decade plus one year in charge, Mikel Arteta has made it clear that his continued role with the club is directly connected to delivering trophies.
The Journey So Far: Six Years in Charge
The former Arsenal captain took over on the 20th of December in 2019 and managed to steer the team to an cup win not long after. But, that initial silverware remains his lone major honor after taking over from Unai Emery.
“Absolutely,” he stated in response to a query about remaining in charge after his current deal. “However, it is about today. And many things have to happen in the next few months as well to warrant that continuation.”
This weekend sees the six-year milestone with a fixture against Everton, the exact opponent Arsenal met the day after his hiring was confirmed.
Present Challenges
With chasing Manchester City playing against West Ham in an earlier kick-off, Arsenal could be displaced top spot in the Premier League prior to their fixture. This comes even with Arteta presiding over a squad that has been plagued by over 100 injuries from the beginning of last season.
The manager is under a contract with 18 months remaining on the extension he agreed to in 2024, yet understands fully that results must come sooner rather than later.
Survival in the Job
He went on to explain, highlighting the constant necessity to validate his position. “In my view 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, commending the strong backing from the board and owners, while singling out the players' commitment as the key factor. “At the end, the most important ones are those players... During my tenure, I’ve seen just players with a standard of focus, desire to learn and dedicate themselves to the team.”
Latest Fitness Blow
Arsenal heads into the weekend fixture managing a fresh setback. Defender Ben White has been declared unavailable with a muscle problem that is anticipated to see him miss action for a few weeks.
Confidence in the Path
Despite the injury crisis and the intense pressure, Arteta is confident the club's “focus and dialogue” are completely changed from when he first arrived.
Arteta highlighted the squad's displays as evidence of progress. “You look at the performances, all the historical marks we surpassed... We still haven’t managed to do that [win trophies]. But that tells you the level we are at.”
He finished by saying, “That is a level that the Premier League has not seen before 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.”
