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From the world of English football news, a notable midfielder has been given a lengthy ban, a manager has singled to a player's mistakes to make a point, and Pep Guardiola has called for defensive betterment following an erratic victory.

1. Mejbri Given Four-Game Suspension and Financial Penalty

The Clarets' midfielder Hannibal Mejbri was issued a four-match suspension and a financial fine following improper behaviour during October's match against Leeds United. The governing body said Mejbri faced a separate disciplinary panel following an incident where he spat towards away supporters at the 67-minute point during a 2-0 victory for Burnley.

A release explained: “An independent disciplinary panel has sanctioned Burnley’s Hannibal Mejbri due to his actions in their top-flight game against Leeds of 18 October. The charge was that the player acted in breach of the rules of football or in an improper way by engaging in offensive and/or indecent behaviour by spitting at or in the area of Leeds United supporters.”

It continued, “Mejbri subsequently admitted the charge, and the Regulatory Commission imposed a four-match ban and £15,000 following proceedings. The Regulatory Commission’s written reasons for the sanction will be published at a later date.” Burnley, currently 19th in the table, visit 12th-placed Newcastle on Saturday.

Maresca Points to Adarabioyo's Errors to Make an Argument

The Blues' head coach Enzo Maresca has argued that a lack of experience is not an issue for his team, pointing out how centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo's years did not stop the 28-year-old from having poorly during the defeat against Leeds United.

Maresca, who manages the most youthful squad in the division, does not feel that mentality was a factor in their poor result. He presented his argument by singling out Tosin, Chelsea's oldest outfield player on the pitch, after he produced an error-strewn performance in central defence.

“We always mention experience after we fail to win,” the coach said. “When we beat Barcelona, the draw against Arsenal, nobody was mentioning experienced personnel. I understand that if we lose, we are always looking for an explanation, but I think why we didn’t win against Leeds was not down to inexperience, it’s because we just weren't at our best.”

Maresca continued, “Who was the oldest one for us in the match? It was Tosin. Was he any good? So, it isn't related to his age. It's that those 11 players, they were not good enough.”

3. Guardiola Insists Defensive Solidity 'Has to Improve'

The Manchester City manager has insisted the champions have taken lessons from their recent scare against Fulham and the game is now forgotten. City held on for a 5-4 victory during a incredible encounter on Tuesday, having led 5-1 with about an hour played.

Coming after they fought off a fightback and won 3-2 in the previous game, it raised further doubts about if they are resilient enough to sustain a challenge to leaders Arsenal. “That game is behind us,” Guardiola commented. “Valuable lessons, I hope. At this level, at all the clubs, one must take onboard what happens in the good things and bad things and focus on the next one.”

“Naturally I am worried,” Guardiola added. “We try to analyse the cause, so as not to allow the goals. With the three goals scored by Leeds, and the five by Fulham you can see our sides, correct? So, we have done plenty of good things. Yet how many attempts had Leeds ? Three? They scored two. That ratio is bad. And shots on target did Fulham have? Five, six? So our ratio of shots conceded we can see too high. We must improve.”

Newcastle Focus on Livramento and Botman Contracts

The Magpies' recently appointed sporting director, Ross Wilson, has placed contract negotiations involving important defenders Tino Livramento and Sven Botman the priority on his to-do list for the club. Wilson joined after leaving Nottingham Forest recently and was reassured that midfielder Sandro Tonali is on a deal that runs to 2029 with an option until 2030.

This allows Wilson free to prioritise talks with Livramento and Botman's agents. With the former’s current deal set to expire in 2027 and the latter’s a year later, Newcastle's efforts have assumed some urgency.

“The initial few days in the job was when I discovered that Sandro’s deal was significantly better than the one I was expecting,” he stated. “However, it is no secret that we wishes to extend Tino’s contract and also wants to renew Sven Botman’s as well. Those discussions are ongoing.”

Head coach Eddie Howe will be missing Botman for the match against Burnley on Saturday, and he expected to be out for at least a further period.

5. Nuno Confirms Paquetá Will Start for West Ham

West Ham head coach Nuno Espírito Santo has confirmed that Lucas Paquetá will return to the starting lineup for they play Brighton this Sunday, having completed a ban following a sending-off against Liverpool.

“It is in the past,” the manager said. “I am positive it will not be repeated as he himself admitted his mistake. We discussed it about it internally. I believe it is over and will not be repeated.”

He also acknowledged the significant pressure facing his team, currently in the relegation zone before Saturday's matches. “We cannot ignore it,” he said. “It's the situation. We must confront it. We are battling for our top-flight status. We cannot shy away from it.”

Arteta Impressed by Striker Stand-in Merino

Mikel Merino may keep his place leading the line for Arsenal central striker even when their regular frontmen return from injury. Merino has been playing as an emergency number nine due to fitness issues to Viktor Gyokeres, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus.

Merino found the net for Arsenal’s opener against Brentford before assisting Bukayo Saka for their second in a 2-0 victory that maintained {their|