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From the world of Premier League news, a key player was issued a lengthy ban, a manager has pointed to a player's errors to prove a point, and Pep Guardiola has called for backline betterment following a wild victory.

1. Mejbri Handed Four-Game Suspension and Fine

Burnley's midfielder Hannibal Mejbri has been given a four-match suspension and a £15,000 penalty for misconduct in October's match against Leeds United. The Football Association stated Mejbri was referred an independent disciplinary panel following an incident of spitting towards visiting supporters at the 67-minute point of a 2-0 win for Burnley.

An FA statement said: “An independent disciplinary panel has punished Burnley’s Hannibal Mejbri for misconduct in their top-flight match with Leeds of 18 October. It was alleged that he acted in breach of the laws of football and/or in an improper way by using offensive and/or unacceptable conduct by spitting towards the direction of Leeds United fans.”

The statement added, “Mejbri later accepted the allegation, and the Regulatory Commission handing down a four-match ban and a fine after proceedings. The Regulatory Commission’s full explanation for the sanction are to be released in due course.” Burnley, currently 19th in the standings, travel to 12th-placed Newcastle on Saturday.

2. Maresca Points to Adarabioyo's Mistakes to Make an Argument

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has argued that not having experience is not an issue at team, highlighting how defender Tosin Adarabioyo's years did not prevent the 28-year-old from having poorly during the loss against Leeds United.

Maresca, who manages the most youthful team in the division, does not feel that mentality played a part in their setback. He made his case by singling out Tosin, the most experienced outfield player on the pitch, after he produced a mistake-riddled performance in central defence.

“People always talk about experience after we drop points,” Maresca said. “When we defeated Barcelona, the draw with Arsenal, nobody was talking about older players. I know that when we lose, people are always searching for an explanation, but I think why we didn’t win against Leeds is not because of inexperience, it was because we were not good enough.”

He added, “Who was the oldest one for us in the match? Who was? Was he any good? Therefore, it’s not about his age. It’s about those 11 men, they were simply not good enough.”

Guardiola Insists Defensive Solidity 'Has to Get Better'

Pep Guardiola has insisted the champions have learnt from their recent thriller at Fulham and the episode has now been forgotten. City survived for a 5-4 victory in a remarkable clash on Tuesday, having led 5-1 with almost an hour played.

Coming after they resisted a Leeds fightback to win 3-2 in their prior game, it raised more questions regarding whether they possess resilient required to sustain a challenge against pace-setters Arsenal. “It’s behind us,” he said. “Good learnings, hopefully. In the Premier League, at all the clubs, you have to learn from both good and bad performances and results and focus on what's next.”

“Naturally I am worried,” Guardiola added. “We are trying to analyse what happened, to not concede the goals. After conceding three by Leeds, and five goals by Fulham you can see the two versions, correct? Therefore, we have we have done many good things. But how many shots on target did Leeds have? Three? Scored two. That ratio is good. And attempts did Fulham ? Five, six? So our ratio of chances conceded is too high. We must be better.”

Newcastle Prioritise New Defenders' Deals

Newcastle United's new sporting director, Ross Wilson, has placed contract discussions involving important backline players Tino Livramento and Sven Botman the priority on his to-do list at St James’ Park. He joined after leaving Nottingham Forest in October and is reassured that midfielder Sandro Tonali has a contract extending to 2029 with an option until 2030.

This allows Wilson free to prioritise talks with Livramento and Botman's representatives. Livramento's agreement ending in 2027 and the latter’s a year later, the club's talks are being treated with some urgency.

“My first three or four days after starting was when I discovered that Sandro’s deal was significantly more secure than I had thought,” he stated. “However, it is no secret that we wishes to renew Tino’s contract and we wants to renew Sven Botman’s as well. These talks are underway.”

Head coach Eddie Howe is without Botman for the home game against Burnley on Saturday, and he expected to be sidelined for at least another week.

Nuno Confirms Paquetá Will Start Against Brighton

West Ham head coach Nuno Espírito Santo has confirmed that Lucas Paquetá will return to the starting lineup for the side play Brighton this Sunday, having completed a ban for the red card against Liverpool.

“That incident is behind us,” the manager said. “I am confident it will not happen again because he personally admitted his mistake. We spoke in the dressing room. I am positive the matter is closed and it will not happen again.”

Nuno also understands the intense strain on his side, currently in the relegation zone ahead of Saturday's matches. “We cannot avoid it,” he admitted. “It's the situation. We must confront it. We are fighting for survival. We cannot shy away from it.”

6. Arteta Impressed by No 9 Deputy Merino

Mikel Merino could continue leading the line for Arsenal centre-forward even when the club's usual strikers are fit again. The midfielder has been playing as an emergency No 9 due to fitness issues to Viktor Gyokeres, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus.

Merino found the net for Arsenal’s first goal against Brentford and set up Bukayo Saka for their second goal during a 2-0 victory which preserved {their|