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From the world of top-flight developments, a key midfielder was handed a significant ban, a manager has singled to a defender's errors to make an argument, and Pep Guardiola has called for defensive betterment after a wild victory.

Mejbri Given Four-Match Suspension and Fine

The Clarets' midfielder Hannibal Mejbri was handed a four-game suspension and a financial penalty following improper behaviour during a recent match against Leeds United. The governing body stated the player faced a separate regulatory commission following an incident where he spat towards visiting supporters at the 67-minute mark of a 2-0 win by Burnley.

An FA statement explained: “A disciplinary panel has sanctioned Burnley’s Hannibal Mejbri due to his actions during their Premier League match with Leeds on 18 October. The charge was that he behaved in breach of the laws of the game or in a poor manner and/or engaging in offensive and unacceptable behaviour by spitting at or in the direction of Leeds United fans.”

It continued, “Mejbri subsequently accepted the charge, and the Regulatory Commission imposed a four-game suspension and £15,000 following a hearing. The panel's written reasons for its decisions are to be released in due course.” The team, now 19th in the standings, travel to 12th-place Newcastle this Saturday.

Maresca Points to Adarabioyo's Mistakes to Make a Point

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has argued that a lack of experience is not an issue for his team, pointing out how defender Tosin Adarabioyo's age did not stop him from playing poorly in a 3-1 defeat to Leeds United.

The Italian coach, who oversees the most youthful team in the Premier League, rejected the idea that inexperience was a factor in their setback. He made his case by singling out Tosin, Chelsea's most experienced player in the lineup, who delivered a mistake-riddled display at the back.

“People always talk about a lack of experience when we fail to win,” Maresca said. “After we defeated Barcelona, we drew with Arsenal, nobody was mentioning experienced personnel. I know that if we don’t win, we are constantly looking for an explanation, but I think the reason why we didn’t win to Leeds is not because of the experience, it’s because we were not at our best.”

He added, “Who was the oldest one for us on the pitch? It was Tosin. Was he any good? So, it isn't related to experience. It's that those 11 men, they were simply not good enough.”

Guardiola Insists Defensive Solidity 'Has to Get Better'

The Manchester City manager has stated the champions have learnt from their recent scare at Fulham with the game is now forgotten. City survived for a 5-4 win during a remarkable encounter at Craven Cottage, having led 5-1 with almost 60 minutes played.

This followed they resisted a Leeds comeback to win 3-2 in the previous fixture, it raised further doubts about whether they possess the defensive steel enough to mount a challenge against pace-setters Arsenal. “That game is behind us,” Guardiola commented. “Valuable lessons, I hope. At this level, at all the clubs, you have to take onboard what happens in the good things and bad things and think of the next one.”

“Of course I am worried,” he admitted. “We try to analyse the cause, to not allow the goals. After conceding three against Leeds, and five goals by Fulham it shows our versions, correct? Therefore, we have done plenty of positive things. But how many attempts had Leeds have? Three? Scored two. It’s not bad. And attempts did Fulham have? Five, six? So, our ratio of shots conceded is too high. We have to be better.”

Newcastle Prioritise on Livramento and Botman Deals

Newcastle United's recently appointed football chief, Ross Wilson, has placed new deal discussions involving key backline players Tino Livramento and Sven Botman at the top of his agenda at St James’ Park. Wilson arrived from Nottingham Forest recently and was reassured to learn playmaker Sandro Tonali has a contract extending until 2029 with an option until 2030.

That has left Wilson to prioritise talks for Livramento and Botman's representatives. Livramento's agreement set to expire in 2027 and the latter’s in 2028, the club's efforts are being treated with a certain urgency.

“The initial three or four days in the job was when I discovered that Sandro’s deal was much better than I was expecting,” he stated. “But it’s no secret that the club would want to extend Tino’s contract and we wants to renew Sven Botman’s as well. Those discussions are ongoing.”

Head coach Eddie Howe will be without Botman against the match with Burnley on Saturday, and he likely to remain sidelined for a further period.

5. Nuno Says Paquetá Will Start for West Ham

West Ham head coach Nuno Espírito Santo has stated that Lucas Paquetá is back to start when they play Brighton on Sunday, having completed a ban following a red card against Liverpool.

“That incident is in the past,” the manager said. “I am confident it will not happen again as he himself acknowledged the error. We spoke internally. I believe the matter is closed and it will not happen again.”

Nuno also understands the intense pressure on his side, currently in the relegation zone before the weekend fixtures. “We cannot avoid it,” he said. “It is a reality. We have to face it. We're fighting for our top-flight status. We cannot shy away from it.”

Arteta Impressed by Striker Stand-in Merino

Mikel Merino may keep his place as Arsenal’s central striker even when the club's usual strikers return from injury. Merino has been playing as an emergency number nine due to fitness issues for Viktor Gyokeres, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus.

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