Mikel Arteta has told his Arsenal stars they must keep their cool against - despite their desire to avenge September's Etihad chaos.

threw the ball at Gabriel Magalhaes' head after dramatic 98th-minute equaliser before later telling Arteta to "stay humble" following the full-time whistle.

When asked if his players have brushed the ill-feeling of those incidents to one side ahead of today's crunch showdown, Arteta declared: "I really hope so.

"I think holding anything negative emotionally doesn't help. It's part of the competition, it's part of the game and let's leave it there and let's play a good football match which is what people want to watch."

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was also controversially dismissed by referee Michael Oliver deep into first-half stoppage time during the pulsating 2-2 draw. Arteta insists that despite obvious mitigating circumstances, his team must strive to improve their disciplinary record and do their utmost best to keep 11 players on the pitch.

He continued: “Obviously there are four games that we've played with 10 men. I think 9% of the minutes in this league will be with ten men.With those numbers you are out of the title race, probably out of the ."

Arteta has also still felt sympathy for amid City's struggles - even if their demise has played into Arsenal's hands. The Gunners boss, who spent three and a half years at the Etihad shadowing his opposite number, is out to inflict another blow upon his former employers this afternoon.

However, beneath one of the Premier League's greatest modern rivalries, there remains a level of unbreakable respect. Arteta said of his recent empathy for his compatriot: "I think we all have it for each other, not only with Pep.

"With Pep it is obviously very special because of how I feel about him but with any other colleague because we know how different our life is when you win and when you don't, doing exactly the same. So I think we all share that sympathy between us."

While Myles Lewis-Skelly's red card at was swiftly overturned by the FA earlier this week, that hasn't stopped furious supporters from questioning the integrity of PGMOL following a string of high-profile controversies in the past few months. But when asked if he feels the Gunners are still refereed in the same way as every other team, Arteta shot down conspiracy theorists and reaffirmed his commitment to defending his club's corner.

He explained: "For sure, we all have to respect that. But that doesn't mean that we don't have to defend our position or give our views in a respectful way, which is what we do. With the right channels and the right communication with the PGMOL or someone individual or the and that will continue to go on.

"Because a lot of times that communication has been there to give very positive feedback and about things that we can change to make it better and that has happened.

"There have been a few changes that have been made and proposed in the Premier League managers or with the Premier League or with PGMOL. So it's always very constructive what we are trying to achieve here."

A few days ago, boldly claimed Arteta was guilty of encouraging the scrutiny of referees but the Spaniard did not bite when asked to respond, adding: "You know that I never comment about other opinions."

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