Mikel Arteta believes the overhaul he has led at Arsenal has positioned the club to compete for major honours as he marks six years in charge.
A win at his former club Everton on Saturday would see Arsenal sit top of the Premier League at Christmas, as they chase a first league title since the 2003/04 season.
Arteta’s only major trophy so far remains the FA Cup he won early in his tenure, but the Spaniard has restored Arsenal as consistent title challengers and regular participants in the Champions League.
After missing out on a top-four finish for six straight seasons between 2017 and 2022, the Gunners have finished runners-up in the league in each of the last three campaigns.
“The transformation has been across the whole club — in size, revenues, the squad we’ve built, its value, and the sporting success we’ve achieved, even though we haven’t won more major trophies yet,” Arteta said on Friday. “It’s been very consistent, so we’re in the right place.”
Arsenal currently hold a two-point lead over Manchester City at the summit, though their advantage has been trimmed following draws against Sunderland and Chelsea and only their second defeat of the season, away to Aston Villa.
The festive period presents a tough run of fixtures, with six matches scheduled between December 20 and January 8.
Asked what he wants for Christmas, the 43-year-old was emphatic: “Win, win, win, win, win — all the games. The rest will come naturally. My mood and energy will be much better if we win, so that’s what I want.”
