Mikel Arteta emphasized the importance of his team mastering the art of being "tricky" and "streetwise" in specific situations following Arsenal's loss to Porto in the Champions League first leg on Wednesday.

Statistics revealed that the ball was in play for approximately 50 minutes during the match, indicating that Porto's tactics had unsettled Arteta's side.

Declan Rice subsequently encouraged his teammates to demonstrate greater "savviness" in future encounters.

Asked whether his players are capable of being "bad guys" on the pitch, Arteta told a news conference on Friday: "I don't know [about being a] bad guy but you have to be tricky. You have to be smart, you have to be streetwise, and you have to try to take advantage of every situation, and they know that.

"That's a thing that has to be developed. The best players they have, they have that."

Arsenal have been in superb form in the league in 2024; they have scored 21 goals and conceded just two, winning five consecutive matches in the process.

If Arsenal secures a victory against Newcastle on Saturday, they will narrow the gap to Premier League leaders Liverpool to just two points. Liverpool, managed by Jurgen Klopp, are set to face Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday.

Despite the potential for Arsenal to gain ground, Arteta believes that his team is perceived as outsiders in the Premier League title race.

"I feel a lot of excitement, especially internally, because we are right in the mix and we want to continue to be there because we are in the Champions League," Arteta said.

"We have a fantastic game to play at the Emirates and externally, it probably is different because the expectations are much more focused in the other two teams [Liverpool and Manchester City]."

Arteta was cleared of a Football Association charge in December following comments he made about the officials in charge of Arsenal's 1-0 defeat to Newcastle at St. James' Park in the reverse fixture in November.

The Arsenal boss branded the VAR's decision to award Newcastle's winning goal "a disgrace" in his post-match news conference, but said on Friday that he feels as though refereeing decisions have improved since he voiced his opinion.