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From the world of English football updates, a key player has been issued a substantial ban, a manager has pointed to a defender's errors to make a point, and the Manchester City manager has demanded backline improvements following an erratic win.

Mejbri Handed Four-Match Ban and Fine

Burnley's player Hannibal Mejbri was issued a four-game ban and a £15,000 fine following misconduct during October's match versus Leeds United. The Football Association stated Mejbri was referred a separate disciplinary panel after allegations of spitting towards away fans around the 67-minute point of a 2-0 victory for Burnley.

A release read: “An independent Regulatory Commission has punished the Hannibal Mejbri for misconduct in their top-flight game against Leeds of 18 October. The charge was that he acted against the laws of the game or in a poor manner and/or engaging in offensive and/or indecent behaviour by spitting towards the direction of Leeds United fans.”

The statement added, “Mejbri later accepted the charge, and the Regulatory Commission imposed a four-match suspension and £15,000 after a hearing. The Regulatory Commission’s full explanation for its decisions are to be released at a later date.” The team, now 19th in the standings, visit 12th-place Newcastle this Saturday.

2. Maresca Points to Tosin's Mistakes to Prove an Argument

The Blues' manager Enzo Maresca has argued that not having seasoned players is not a problem at club, pointing out how defender Tosin Adarabioyo's years did not stop him from playing a bad game in the loss against Leeds United.

The Italian coach, who oversees the most youthful squad in the Premier League, rejected the idea that mentality played a part in their setback. He presented his argument by singling out Tosin, the oldest outfield player in the lineup, who delivered a mistake-riddled performance in central defence.

“People always mention experience after we drop points,” Maresca stated. “After we beat Barcelona, we drew with Arsenal, nobody was talking about experienced personnel. I know that when we don’t win, we are always looking for an explanation, but I think why we didn’t win against Leeds is not because of inexperience, it was because we were not at our best.”

He added, “Who is the most senior player on our team on the pitch? It was Tosin. Did he play good? So, it isn't related to his age. It's that those 11 men, they were not good enough.”

3. Guardiola Insists Defence 'Must Get Better'

The Manchester City manager has stated his team have taken lessons from a midweek thriller at Fulham with the episode is now forgotten. The team held on to claim a 5-4 win during a incredible encounter at Craven Cottage, having led 5-1 with almost an hour gone.

Coming after they resisted a comeback and won 3-2 in their previous fixture, it raised further doubts about if they are resilient required to sustain a challenge against pace-setters Arsenal. “That game is behind us,” Guardiola commented. “Valuable learnings, hopefully. At this level, at all the clubs, you have to learn from what happens performances and bad things and focus on what's next.”

“Of course I am worried,” Guardiola added. “We try to analyse what happened, to not concede so many goals. After conceding three by Leeds, and five goals by Fulham you can see our versions, right? Therefore, we have we have done plenty of positive things. Yet how many shots on target had Leeds ? Three? Scored two. It’s not good. And shots on target for Fulham have? Five, six? So our ratio of chances conceded is too high. We must be better.”

4. Newcastle Focus on Livramento and Botman Contracts

The Magpies' new football chief, Ross Wilson, has placed contract negotiations with important defenders Tino Livramento and Sven Botman at the top of his to-do list at St James’ Park. He joined after leaving Nottingham Forest in October and was reassured that playmaker Sandro Tonali has a contract that runs until 2029 and, potentially, 2030.

That has left Wilson free to focus on talks for Livramento and Botman's representatives. With the former’s agreement set to expire in 2027 and the latter’s a year later, Newcastle's efforts are being treated with some importance.

“The initial few days after starting is when I found that Sandro’s contract situation is much more secure than I had thought,” he stated. “However, it is no secret that the club wishes to extend Tino’s contract and also would want to extend Sven Botman’s too. These talks are underway.”

Manager Eddie Howe is missing Botman for the match with Burnley on Saturday, with the defender expected to remain sidelined for a further period.

Nuno Confirms Paquetá Returns Against Brighton

The Hammers' head coach Nuno Espírito Santo has stated that Lucas Paquetá is back to start when the side face Brighton this Sunday, after serving his suspension following a sending-off against Liverpool.

“That incident is behind us,” Nuno said. “I am confident it will not happen again as he personally acknowledged the error. We discussed it internally. I believe the matter is closed and will not happen again.”

Nuno also understands the significant strain facing his team, currently in the relegation zone before the weekend fixtures. “We cannot avoid it,” he admitted. “It's a reality. We have to face it. We're fighting for survival. We can't shy away from it.”

6. Arteta Pleased with Striker Deputy Merino

Mikel Merino could continue leading the line for Arsenal central striker even when their regular frontmen are fit again. Merino has been deployed as an emergency number nine because of fitness issues for Viktor Gyokeres, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus.

Merino found the net for the opener versus Brentford before assisting Bukayo Saka for their second goal during a 2-0 victory that maintained {their|