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From the world of top-flight news, a notable midfielder has been issued a lengthy suspension, a manager has singled to a player's errors to make a point, and the Manchester City manager has demanded defensive betterment following an erratic win.

Mejbri Given Four-Game Ban and Fine

The Clarets' midfielder Hannibal Mejbri was given a four-game ban and a financial penalty for improper behaviour during October's match versus Leeds United. The governing body stated the player faced a separate regulatory commission after an incident of spitting in the direction of visiting fans at the 67th point during a 2-0 victory by Burnley.

An FA release said: “A Regulatory Commission has sanctioned Burnley’s Hannibal Mejbri for misconduct in their Premier League game against Leeds of 18 October. The charge was that he acted in breach of the rules of football or in a poor manner by engaging in abusive and/or indecent conduct through spitting at or in the area of Leeds United fans.”

It added, “Mejbri later accepted the allegation, with the Regulatory Commission imposed a four-game ban and a fine following proceedings. The panel's full explanation for its decisions will be published in due course.” Burnley, now 19th in the standings, visit 12th-placed Newcastle on Saturday.

2. Maresca Points to Adarabioyo's Mistakes to Make a Point

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has argued that a lack of experience is not an issue for his club, highlighting that defender Tosin Adarabioyo's years did not stop the 28-year-old from having poorly during a 3-1 defeat against Leeds United.

The Italian coach, who manages the youngest squad in the division, does not feel that mentality was a factor in the setback. He presented his case by criticising Tosin, the oldest player in the lineup, after he produced an error-strewn performance at the back.

“We always talk about a lack of experience after we fail to win,” the coach said. “After we beat Barcelona, the draw with Arsenal, nobody was talking about older players. I know that if we don’t win, we are always searching for the reason why, but I think the reason why we lost against Leeds was not down to inexperience, it was because we were not at our best.”

He added, “Who is the oldest one for us on the pitch? It was Tosin. Did he play good? So, it’s not about his age. It's that those 11 players, they were not good enough.”

3. Guardiola Insists Defence 'Has to Get Better'

The Manchester City manager has insisted his team have taken lessons from a recent thriller at Fulham and the episode has now been forgotten. City held on to claim a 5-4 win during a remarkable encounter on Tuesday, having led 5-1 with about 60 minutes played.

Coming after they fought off a fightback to win 3-2 in their previous fixture, it raised further doubts regarding if City are the defensive steel enough to sustain a challenge to leaders Arsenal. “It’s forgotten,” he said. “Good learnings, I hope. In the Premier League, for every team, you have to learn from what happens in the good things and bad things and think of the next one.”

“Naturally I am worried,” Guardiola added. “We are trying to analyse what happened, to not concede so many goals. With the three goals by Leeds, and the five by Fulham you can see the two sides, right? Therefore, we have we have done many good things. But the number of shots on target did Leeds have? Three? Scored two. That ratio is good. How many shots on target for Fulham ? Five, six? So, the average of chances conceded we can see is high. We have to be better.”

Newcastle Focus on Livramento and Botman Deals

Newcastle United's new football chief, Ross Wilson, has placed new deal negotiations with key backline players Tino Livramento and Sven Botman at the top of his agenda for the club. He joined from Nottingham Forest in October and is pleased to learn playmaker Sandro Tonali is on a contract that runs until 2029 with an option until 2030.

This allows Wilson to prioritise talks for Livramento and Botman's agents. Livramento's current deal ending in 2027 and the latter’s a year later, Newcastle's talks have assumed some urgency.

“The initial three or four days in the job was when I found that Sandro’s contract situation is significantly more secure than I was expecting,” he stated. “However, it is well known that the club wishes to extend Tino’s deal and also wants to extend Sven Botman’s too. Those discussions are ongoing.”

Head coach Eddie Howe is without Botman against the match against Burnley this Saturday, and he likely to be sidelined for a further period.

Nuno Says Paquetá Will Start Against Brighton

West Ham manager Nuno Espírito Santo has stated that Lucas Paquetá will return to the starting lineup for they face Brighton on Sunday, having completed his suspension following a red card he received Liverpool.

“It is in the past,” Nuno remarked. “I am confident it will not be repeated because he personally acknowledged the error. We discussed it about it internally. I am positive it is over and it will not be repeated.”

He also acknowledged the intense pressure on his side, who are 18th before the weekend matches. “We cannot avoid it,” he said. “It's a reality. We have to confront it. We are fighting for survival. We cannot hide it.”

Arteta Pleased with Striker Stand-in Merino

Mikel Merino could continue as Arsenal’s centre-forward despite the club's usual strikers return from injury. Merino has been deployed as a makeshift No 9 due to injuries for Viktor Gyokeres, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus.

He scored Arsenal’s first goal versus Brentford and set up Bukayo Saka for the second in a 2-0 win which preserved {their|