Arsenal have been warned that they need to demonstrate progress to ensure Mikel Arteta stays at the helm for the foreseeable.

According to Gunners legend Alan Smith, Arteta will be looking for evidence of the fruits of his labour and may consider leaving if he perceives the club as 'standing still'. The departure of influential sporting director Edu earlier this month has added to the uncertainty, with rumours circulating that he's set to join forces with Evangelos Marinakis, who owns Nottingham Forest and Olympiacos.

Arteta's name has previously been tossed around in managerial gossip, with Barcelona reportedly interested before opting for Hansi Flick over the summer, and Manchester City potentially eyeing him should Pep Guardiola decide against a contract renewal.

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Smith shared his insights with "I think as long as he feels that Arsenal are improving and trying to improve in terms of their ambition. He'll talk to the owners, to Stan Kroenke and Josh, his son, and see what visions they've got.

"If he feels the club standing still or going backward, yeah well, a manager of his drive and ambition then would be looking elsewhere but at the moment, he's put so much effort and put so much work into that team and into the club in general. He'll want to see some reward for it.

"They've been so close to getting that and who knows they might get something this season, whether it's the league or a cup. They're well capable of doing that."

Arteta, who only penned a three-year contract extension in September that will see him at the helm until 2027, is facing a challenging season in north London. The Gunners' campaign has been marred by an underwhelming start and recent losses to Newcastle and Bournemouth, leaving them trailing nine points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool.

A narrow 1-0 defeat to Inter Milan in the Champions League has further complicated matters, with Arsenal needing to step up their game to secure automatic qualification from the league phase of the revamped competition. An injury and suspension crisis hasn't helped either.

However, there's a glimmer of hope as Martin Odegaard returned to the pitch for his first Premier League appearance since August in last weekend's 1-1 draw against Chelsea.