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This week's English football developments, a notable midfielder was issued a significant ban, a manager has pointed to a player's errors to make an argument, and the Manchester City manager has called for defensive betterment following an erratic victory.

Mejbri Handed Four-Game Ban and Financial Penalty

The Clarets' player Hannibal Mejbri has been issued a four-game ban and a financial fine for misconduct in October's match versus Leeds United. The Football Association stated Mejbri faced a separate regulatory commission after an incident where he spat towards visiting fans at the 67th point of a 2-0 win for Burnley.

An FA release explained: “A disciplinary panel has sanctioned the Hannibal Mejbri for his actions in their Premier League match against Leeds of 18 October. The charge was that he behaved in breach of the rules of the game or in a poor manner by using offensive and/or unacceptable conduct by spitting at or in the direction of Leeds United supporters.”

The statement continued, “Mejbri subsequently accepted the charge, with the panel handing down a four-match suspension and a fine following proceedings. The panel's written reasons for its decisions will be published in due course.” The team, currently in 19th place in the Premier League table, travel to 12th-place Newcastle on Saturday.

Maresca Points to Adarabioyo's Errors to Prove a Point

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has argued that not having seasoned players is no an issue for his team, pointing out how defender Tosin Adarabioyo's age did not stop him from having a bad game in the defeat to Leeds United.

Maresca, who manages the youngest squad in the Premier League, rejected the idea that mentality played a part in the poor result. He presented his argument by criticising Tosin, the oldest player in the lineup, after he delivered a mistake-riddled performance in central defence.

“We always mention a lack of experience when we fail to win,” Maresca stated. “After we defeated Barcelona, we drew against Arsenal, no one was mentioning experienced players. I know that when we don’t win, people are constantly looking for an explanation, but in my view the reason why we didn’t win to Leeds was not down to the experience, it’s because we just weren't at our best.”

He added, “Who was the oldest one on our team in the match? It was Tosin. Did he play good? Therefore, it isn't related to his age. It's that those 11 players, they were not up to standard.”

Guardiola Says Defensive Solidity 'Has to Get Better'

Pep Guardiola has insisted the champions have taken lessons from a midweek thriller at Fulham with the episode is now in the past. City held on to claim a 5-4 victory during a incredible encounter on Tuesday, having led 5-1 with almost an hour played.

This followed they resisted a Leeds fightback to win 3-2 in their prior fixture, prompting further doubts about whether City are the defensive steel enough to mount a challenge against pace-setters Arsenal. “That game is forgotten,” he said. “Good lessons, I hope. In the Premier League, for every team, one must take onboard what happens performances and bad things and think of what's next.”

“Naturally I’m concerned,” Guardiola added. “We try to understand the cause, to not concede the goals. After conceding three by Leeds, and the five goals against Fulham you can see our versions, correct? So, we have we have done many positive things. Yet how many attempts did Leeds have? Three? Scored two. That ratio is good. And attempts did Fulham have? Five, six? So the average of shots conceded we can see is high. We must be better.”

4. Newcastle Focus New Livramento and Botman Contracts

The Magpies' new football chief, Ross Wilson, has made new deal discussions involving key backline players Tino Livramento and Sven Botman at the top of his to-do list for the club. Wilson joined from Nottingham Forest recently and is pleased that midfielder Sandro Tonali has a deal that runs until 2029 with an option until 2030.

This allows Wilson to prioritise negotiations for Livramento and Botman's agents. With the former’s current deal ending in 2027 and the latter’s in 2028, Newcastle's efforts have assumed a certain urgency.

“My first few days in the job was when I discovered that Sandro’s contract situation is much more secure than the one I was expecting,” said Wilson. “But it’s no secret that the club would want to renew Tino’s deal and also would want to extend Sven Botman’s too. These talks are underway.”

Manager Eddie Howe is without Botman against the match with Burnley on Saturday, and he expected to be out for at least a further period.

Nuno Says Paquetá Will Start for West Ham

West Ham manager Nuno Espírito Santo has stated that Lucas Paquetá will return to start when the side play Brighton this Sunday, having completed a ban following a sending-off against Liverpool.

“That incident is behind us,” the manager remarked. “I am positive it won't happen again as he himself acknowledged the error. We discussed it about it internally. I am positive it is over and it will not be repeated.”

Nuno also understands the significant strain on his side, currently in the relegation zone before Saturday's matches. “We can't avoid it,” he admitted. “It's the situation. We have to confront it. We are fighting for our top-flight status. We can't shy away from it.”

Arteta Impressed by No 9 Stand-in Merino

The Spanish midfielder could continue leading the line for Arsenal centre-forward despite their regular frontmen return from injury. Merino has been playing as a makeshift number nine due to injuries to Viktor Gyokeres, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus.

Merino found the net for Arsenal’s opener versus Brentford before assisting Bukayo Saka for their second goal in a 2-0 victory which preserved {their|