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As he approaches his half-decade plus one year in charge, Mikel Arteta has made it clear that his continued role with the club is inextricably linked to winning major honors.

The Journey So Far: From Appointment to Present

The former Arsenal captain assumed control on the 20th of December in 2019 and promptly led the team to an FA Cup triumph a short time later. However, that first major trophy is still his sole major honor since succeeding Unai Emery.

“I can,” he stated in response to a query about his future past 2027. “Yet it's about today. And many things must occur in the next few months as well to warrant that continuation.”

He will mark the anniversary with a game facing Everton, the identical team Arsenal faced immediately following his appointment was announced.

The Current Landscape

With trailing Manchester City playing against West Ham earlier in the day, Arsenal face being knocked off top spot in the Premier League for the first time. This comes notwithstanding Arteta presiding over a squad that has suffered more than a century of fitness issues from the beginning of last season.

Arteta is tied down by 18 months to run on the contract he inked in 2024, however, he knows that he must deliver promptly.

The Manager's Mandate

The manager expanded, highlighting the constant necessity to validate his position. “In my view a manager has to earn the right to be here tomorrow. And that is determined by how you react, how you talk here, how you go into the dressing room, the instructions you give.”

Arteta continued, expressing gratitude for the strong backing from the club's ownership, while singling out the team's buy-in as most crucial. “In the final analysis, the key individuals are those players... Over this half-decade, I’ve seen just players with a degree of commitment, desire to learn and give their all to the team.”

Squad Setbacks

The squad faces the Everton match managing a fresh setback. Defender Ben White has been declared unavailable with a muscle problem that is anticipated to sideline him for several weeks.

A Different Club

Regardless of the fitness woes and the high-stakes environment, Arteta feels the club's “objectives and communication” are vastly different from when he initially took over.

The manager referenced the record-breaking achievements as proof they are close. “Consider the performances, all the club records that were shattered... We still have yet to do that [win trophies]. But that shows the level we are at.”

In closing, the manager stated, “It represents a quality that the Premier League has not seen before in the past. And our aim is to achieve more lofty ambitions. And if we do that, I think we are on the proper course to winning.”