Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said finishing top of the Premier League table at Christmas has reinforced his belief in his team’s title credentials. The side have now led at Christmas in three of the past four seasons, but Arteta suggested this particular moment feels distinct.

“It gives me belief and confidence: the level of performance and the consistency of that,” Arteta reflected. “It is very difficult to do in this league so it means the team is consistently there. We enjoy the process of winning. We will have to go to difficult places and have difficult moments. We have dealt with a lot of things already and we are there.”

History offers a mixed signal. The team sitting top at Christmas has gone on to win the title in 17 of the past 33 seasons. Arsenal, however, account for four of those failed title pursuits.

Pep Guardiola’s side have tightened the race in recent weeks. A winning run has seen City erase a seven-point deficit to reduce the gap to just two points heading into the holidays. Guardiola recently warned Arteta that City were “getting better” after an admittedly slow start to the campaign. The ominous sight of the Etihad outfit bearing down on them is nothing new to Arsenal, but Arteta stressed his team will focus inward.

“We are not looking at [City],” Arteta insisted. “I know you guys do. The only thing we can control is our own performance and results and we know how long it’s going to be and how tough this league is. That’s it. Enjoy every day. Do your best and see what we’re going to get.”

Arteta’s message is clear: the Christmas summit provides confidence, but the challenge ahead remains significant. Arsenal will attempt to convert festive optimism into sustained form as the season progresses.

Viktor Gyökeres’s first-half penalty proved decisive as Arsenal edged Everton 1-0 at Hill Dickinson Stadium. The 27th-minute spot kick settled a game in which VAR decisions were as influential as any individual performance. The result returned Arsenal to the Premier League summit, but the controversial nature of the victory offered Manchester City and the chasing pack hope.

All David Moyes could do was berate on-pitch official Sam Barrott at the final whistle, while Mikel Arteta wheeled away with a cocktail of relief and joy. Arsenal dominated possession (65% to 35%) and denied Everton a single shot in the opening 45 minutes, yet the contest tilted into an arm wrestle after the break as Everton grew into the game.

David Raya (8.4) was steady throughout, commanding the air and composed with the ball. At right-back Jurriën Timber (7.5) kept Jack Grealish quiet and launched repeated forays down the flank. The centre-back pairing had mixed nights: William Saliba (7.0) escaped punishment after an incident with Thierno Barry, while Piero Hincapié (7.4) cleaned up loose moments effectively. Riccardo Calafiori (7.0) showed menace roaming inside despite a head knock.

In midfield Martin Ødegaard (7.0) grew into the contest, Martín Zubimendi (7.5) found passes that evaded challenges, and Declan Rice (8.1) was dominant when in motion. Bukayo Saka (7.6) had a big chance cleared off the line. Up front Gyökeres (7.2) won and converted the penalty but was largely contained by Everton’s defenders. Leandro Trossard (7.3) struck the post, and Zubimendi later hit the same upright.

Substitutions: Gabriel Jesus replaced Gyökeres (65) and was marked 5.9; Gabriel Martinelli came on for Trossard (80) and was 6.0; Mikel Merino (88) was N/A. Unused Arsenal subs included Kepa Arrizabalaga, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Christian Nørgaard, Eberechi Eze, Ethan Nwaneri and Noni Madueke.

The match turned on refereeing interventions; an incident when Saliba struck Barry’s calf was reviewed by Barrott and VAR Salisbury and judged “insufficient” contact. That decision shifted momentum, but Arsenal held on to claim three points.

Mikel Arteta used the sixth anniversary of his appointment to set clear terms for his future at Arsenal: success must be earned on the pitch. The manager pointed to the silverware the club still seeks despite the progress made under his tenure.

Arteta led Arsenal to the 2020 FA Cup title in an empty Wembley Stadium and followed that with the first of two Community Shields a few months later. The club has finished second in each of the past three seasons, but the Premier League title remains absent from his CV. His current deal runs until the summer of 2027.

Ahead of a trip to Everton, which was the first match after Arteta’s appointment and in which he watched a 0–0 from the stands while Freddie Ljungberg concluded his interim spell, he was asked if he could see himself remaining beyond 2027. “Yes,” he quickly replied, “but it’s about today. And a lot of things have to happen in the next few months as well to earn the right. I think a manager has to earn the right to be here tomorrow. And that’s how you react, how you talk here, how you go in the dressing room, the message that you send, how much the players follow you. I always say that you need support. I said it before, from ownership and the board is great.”

On the subject of measurable progress, Arteta reflected on performances and records while acknowledging the missing trophies. “You look at the performances, all the records that we had that they were breaking in the history of the club… We still haven’t managed to do that [win trophies]. But that tells you the level that we are in, which is a level that the Premier League has never experienced in the past. And that we want to achieve even higher goals. And if we do that, I think we are on the right path to winning.”

He also credited the collective effort. “One man cannot really change anything,” he argued. He spoke of sustained commitment: “For six years, I’ve seen just players with a level of attention, desire to learn and give the maximum to the team,” Arteta beamed when speaking about the satisfaction he gets from managing Arsenal. “That is what it gives me in this job. Nothing else. And obviously winning a lot of football matches, that percentage-wise I think is quite high.”

Statistically, Arteta leads Arsenal managers with the best win ratio among those who have overseen at least 50 games: 314 games, 59.7%. The club’s historical figures such as Arsène Wenger, Herbert Chapman and George Graham remain benchmarks until major honours are added.