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From the world of English football updates, a key player has been handed a lengthy suspension, a head coach has pointed to a defender's errors to make an argument, and the Manchester City manager has called for defensive improvements following a wild win.

Mejbri Issued Four-Match Suspension and Fine

Burnley's player Hannibal Mejbri has been handed a four-game ban and a financial fine following misconduct in October's match versus Leeds United. The Football Association said the player faced an independent regulatory commission following an incident of spitting in the direction of visiting fans at the 67th point of a 2-0 victory for Burnley.

An FA release explained: “A Regulatory Commission has punished Burnley’s Hannibal Mejbri due to his actions in the Premier League game against Leeds of 18 October. The charge was that he behaved against the rules of the game and/or in an improper way by using abusive and indecent conduct through spitting at or in the direction of Leeds United supporters.”

The statement added, “Mejbri later accepted the allegation, and the panel imposed a four-game ban and £15,000 following a hearing. The panel's full explanation for the sanction are to be released in due course.” The team, now in 19th place in the Premier League table, visit 12th-place Newcastle this Saturday.

Maresca Singles Out Adarabioyo's Errors to Prove an Argument

The Blues' manager Enzo Maresca has argued that not having experience is not a problem at team, pointing out that centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo's age did not stop him from playing a bad game during the loss to Leeds United.

Maresca, who manages the most youthful squad in the division, rejected the idea that mentality played a part in the setback. He made his case by criticising Tosin, the oldest outfield player on the pitch, who delivered an error-strewn performance in central defence.

“We always mention experience when we fail to win,” Maresca 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 in my view why we didn’t win to Leeds was not down to the experience, it’s because we just weren't good enough.”

He added, “Who was the most senior player for us on the pitch? Who was? Was he any good? So, it isn't related to experience. It's that those 11 players, they were simply not up to standard.”

Guardiola Says Defence 'Has to Improve'

The Manchester City manager has insisted his team have learnt from their recent thriller against Fulham and the episode is now forgotten. City survived to claim a 5-4 win during a incredible encounter at Craven Cottage, after leading 5-1 with about 60 minutes gone.

This followed they fought off a Leeds fightback to win 3-2 in the prior fixture, it raised more questions about if they possess the defensive steel required to mount a title challenge to leaders Arsenal. “That game is behind us,” Guardiola said. “Valuable lessons, hopefully. At this level, for every team, one must learn from both good and bad performances and bad things and focus on the next one.”

“Of course I am worried,” he admitted. “We are trying to understand what happened, to not concede so many goals. After conceding three by Leeds, and five by Fulham it shows our versions, correct? So, always done plenty of good things. But the number of attempts did Leeds ? Three? Scored two. It’s not bad. How many shots on target did Fulham ? Five, six? So, the average of shots conceded we can see too high. We must be better.”

Newcastle Prioritise on Livramento and Botman Contracts

Newcastle United's new sporting director, Ross Wilson, has placed new deal negotiations with key defenders Tino Livramento and Sven Botman at the top of his agenda for the club. Wilson joined after leaving Nottingham Forest in October and is reassured that midfielder Sandro Tonali is on a deal extending until 2029 and, potentially, 2030.

That has left Wilson to prioritise negotiations for Livramento and Botman's representatives. With the former’s current deal set to expire in 2027 and the latter’s a year later, the club's efforts are being treated with a certain importance.

“The initial three or four days in the job is when I found that Sandro’s contract situation is significantly better than the one I was expecting,” he stated. “But it’s no secret that we would want to extend Tino’s contract and we wants to extend Sven Botman’s too. Those discussions are underway.”

Head coach Eddie Howe is missing Botman for the home game with Burnley on Saturday, and he expected to remain out for another week.

Nuno Says Paquetá Will Start Against Brighton

The Hammers' head coach Nuno Espírito Santo has stated that Lucas Paquetá is back to the starting lineup for the side play Brighton this Sunday, after serving a ban for the red card he received Liverpool.

“It is in the past,” the manager remarked. “I am confident it won't be repeated as he personally admitted the error. We discussed it in the dressing room. I believe it is over and will not happen again.”

Nuno also acknowledged the intense pressure on his side, who are 18th before Saturday's fixtures. “We cannot ignore it,” he said. “It's the situation. We have to face it. We're battling for survival. We cannot shy away from it.”

6. Arteta Impressed by Striker Stand-in Merino

The Spanish midfielder could continue leading the line for Arsenal central striker even when the club's usual strikers return from injury. The midfielder has been playing as an emergency number nine because of injuries for Viktor Gyokeres, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus.

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