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In the latest top-flight developments, a significant midfielder was handed a lengthy ban, a head coach has pointed out a defender's errors to prove an argument, and Pep Guardiola has called for backline betterment following an erratic victory.

Mejbri Given Four-Game Ban and Financial Penalty

Burnley's player Hannibal Mejbri has been issued a four-game ban and a £15,000 fine following improper behaviour in October's match against Leeds United. The governing body confirmed the player faced a separate disciplinary panel after an incident of spitting towards visiting supporters around the 67th point of a 2-0 win by Burnley.

An FA statement said: “An independent disciplinary panel has sanctioned Burnley’s Hannibal Mejbri for his actions during their Premier League match with Leeds of 18 October. The charge was that the player acted in breach of the laws of the game and/or in an improper manner and/or engaging in offensive and/or unacceptable conduct by spitting at or in the direction of Leeds United fans.”

It added, “Mejbri subsequently admitted the allegation, with the Regulatory Commission imposed a four-game suspension and a fine after a hearing. The panel's full explanation for the sanction are to be released at a later date.” Burnley, currently in 19th place in the table, visit 12th-place Newcastle this Saturday.

Maresca Points to Tosin's Mistakes to Make an Argument

The Blues' manager Enzo Maresca has stated that not having experience is no an issue for his team, pointing out how defender Tosin Adarabioyo's years did not prevent him from having poorly in the loss against Leeds United.

The Italian coach, who manages the most youthful squad in the Premier League, does not feel that inexperience was a factor in the setback. He made his case by singling out Tosin, Chelsea's most experienced player on the pitch, who delivered an error-strewn display at the back.

“People always mention experience after we fail to win,” the coach said. “After we beat Barcelona, we drew with Arsenal, no one was talking about experienced players. I understand that if we don’t win, people are always looking for an explanation, but in my view why we didn’t win to Leeds was not down to the experience, it was because we just weren't good enough.”

He added, “Who is the oldest one on our team in the match? It was Tosin. Was he any good? Therefore, it’s not about his age. It’s about those 11 players, they were not good enough.”

3. Guardiola Says Defensive Solidity 'Has to Get Better'

The Manchester City manager has insisted his team have learnt from a recent thriller against Fulham and the episode has now been forgotten. The team held on to claim a 5-4 victory in a incredible encounter at Craven Cottage, after leading 5-1 with about 60 minutes played.

This followed they resisted a fightback to win 3-2 in their prior game, it raised more questions regarding whether they possess resilient required to mount a title challenge against pace-setters Arsenal. “It’s forgotten,” he commented. “Valuable learnings, I hope. At this level, for every team, one must learn from both good and bad in the good things and bad things and think of the next one.”

“Of course I am worried,” he admitted. “We are trying to understand the cause, so as not to concede the goals. After conceding three by Leeds, and five by Fulham it shows the two sides, correct? Therefore, always we have done plenty of good things. But how many shots on target had Leeds ? Three? Scored two. It’s not bad. How many attempts did Fulham have? Five, six? So our ratio of chances conceded we can see too high. We must improve.”

Newcastle Prioritise New Livramento and Botman Contracts

Newcastle United's new football chief, Ross Wilson, has placed contract discussions with important backline players Tino Livramento and Sven Botman at the top of his to-do list for the club. He arrived after leaving Nottingham Forest in October and is reassured to learn midfielder Sandro Tonali is on a contract extending until 2029 and, potentially, 2030.

That has left Wilson free to focus on negotiations with Livramento and Botman's representatives. With the former’s agreement set to expire in 2027 and the latter’s in 2028, Newcastle's talks are being treated with some urgency.

“My first three or four days after starting is when I discovered that Sandro’s deal is significantly more secure than I was expecting,” said Wilson. “However, it is no secret that the club would want to extend Tino’s contract and we wants to extend Sven Botman’s too. Those discussions are ongoing.”

Head coach Eddie Howe is without Botman for the match with Burnley on Saturday, with the defender expected to be sidelined for at least another week.

Nuno Confirms Paquetá Returns for West Ham

The Hammers' head coach Nuno Espírito Santo has confirmed that Lucas Paquetá is back to start for the side play Brighton on Sunday, after serving his suspension for the red card he received Liverpool.

“That incident is in the past,” the manager said. “I am confident it will not happen again because he personally admitted his mistake. We spoke internally. I believe it is over and it will not be repeated.”

Nuno also understands the significant pressure facing his team, currently in the relegation zone before Saturday's fixtures. “We cannot ignore it,” he admitted. “It is a reality. We have to confront it. We're battling for survival. We can't hide it.”

Arteta Impressed by Striker Stand-in Merino

Mikel Merino may keep his place as Arsenal’s central striker despite the club's usual strikers return from injury. The midfielder has been deployed as an emergency number nine because of injuries for Viktor Gyokeres, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus.

He scored Arsenal’s first goal against Brentford before assisting Bukayo Saka for their second goal in a 2-0 win that maintained {their|