Mikel Arteta speaks out on his efforts to keep emotions in check ahead of Newcastle return | arsenal

Mikel Arteta believes he has learned from Arsenal's controversial defeat at Newcastle last season and is trying to keep his emotions in check because he doesn't want to be banished from the dugout.

Arteta was cleared of offensive comments about match officials after Arsenal's 1-0 defeat at St James' Park last year after VAR failed to rule out Anthony Gordon's winner. The Spaniard is one of five coaches in the Premier League not to have been shown a yellow card this season as his side prepare for early Saturday's game at Newcastle.

Arteta, who hopes Gabriel Magalhães could be fit but is doubtful about Ben White due to a joint problem, said he had made a conscious effort not to cross the finish line.

“I definitely don’t want to miss a game,” he said. “I can't promise you that I won't be jumping up and down on the sideline when we score a goal. I can't guarantee that. Hopefully they (the match officials) have also adapted and understood that emotions play a big part. As a result, I can’t control myself and so far it has worked.”

Asked if he had been meditating to deal with less favorable decisions, Arteta said: “On the sidelines I haven't gotten to the point where I'm in meditation mode yet, but maybe it's something that needs to happen! “I only want the best for the team and I want to give the team the best chance to be as competitive as possible and win the most football games. When they changed the rules and certain behaviors on the sidelines, we have to adapt and evolve. That’s what I’m trying to do.”

The New Zealand rugby union team were at Arsenal's training ground on Wednesday to prepare for their clash with England on Saturday, although Arteta was unable to spend time with their head coach Scott Robertson, whom he described as “an inspiration”, due to their friendship Travel to Preston in the Carabao Cup. Arteta recommended reading the book “Legacy: What the All Blacks Can Teach Us about the Business of Life,” which shaped his approach as a manager.

Asked what particular ideas he had adopted, Arteta said: “A few. It's all about culture and the importance of clarity or what it means when you put on a jersey. The feeling of belonging to something. When someone plays with that feeling, I think it increases their engagement and their ability to perform and impact the organization in a different way.”