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This week's Premier League updates, a notable player was given a significant ban, a head coach has singled out a player's mistakes to make an argument, and the Manchester City manager has called for defensive betterment after a chaotic win.

Mejbri Issued Four-Game Suspension and Financial Penalty

The Clarets' player Hannibal Mejbri has been issued a four-game ban and a financial fine for misconduct in a recent match versus Leeds United. The Football Association stated Mejbri faced a separate disciplinary panel following allegations where he spat towards away fans at the 67-minute mark of a 2-0 victory for Burnley.

A release said: “An independent disciplinary panel has sanctioned Burnley’s Hannibal Mejbri due to misconduct during their Premier League game against Leeds of 18 October. The charge was that the player behaved against the laws of the game and/or in a poor way and/or using offensive and indecent conduct by spitting at or in the area of Leeds United supporters.”

It added, “Mejbri subsequently admitted the charge, and the Regulatory Commission handing down a four-match ban and £15,000 following a hearing. The Regulatory Commission’s full explanation for the sanction will be published at a later date.” Burnley, currently in 19th place in the Premier League standings, visit 12th-place Newcastle on Saturday.

Maresca Singles Out Adarabioyo's Mistakes to Make an Argument

The Blues' manager Enzo Maresca has argued that a lack of experience is not a problem for his club, highlighting that centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo's years did not stop the 28-year-old from having poorly during the loss to Leeds United.

The Italian coach, who manages the most youthful team in the division, does not feel that inexperience was a factor in their setback. He made his argument by criticising Tosin, the oldest outfield player on the pitch, who delivered a mistake-riddled performance in central defence.

“People always talk about experience when we drop points,” Maresca said. “When we beat Barcelona, we drew against Arsenal, nobody was mentioning older players. I know that if we don’t win, we are always 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 were not good enough.”

Maresca continued, “Who is the most senior player on our team on the pitch? Who was? Was he good? So, it’s not about his age. It’s about those 11 men, they were not up to standard.”

Guardiola Insists Defensive Solidity 'Must Improve'

The Manchester City manager has insisted his team have taken lessons from their midweek thriller at Fulham and the episode is now in the past. The team held on to claim a 5-4 victory in a incredible encounter at Craven Cottage, after leading 5-1 with about an hour played.

Coming after they fought off a comeback to win 3-2 in the previous fixture, prompting more questions about if they are resilient enough to sustain a title challenge against pace-setters Arsenal. “It’s behind us,” he said. “Good learnings, I hope. At this level, for every team, one must take onboard both good and bad performances and bad things and focus on what's next.”

“Of course I’m concerned,” he admitted. “We try to analyse what happened, so as not to concede so many goals. After conceding three scored against Leeds, and five by Fulham it shows the two sides, right? So, always done many good things. Yet how many attempts had Leeds have? Three? They scored two. That ratio is bad. And attempts for Fulham have? Five, six? So our ratio of shots conceded we can see too high. We must improve.”

4. Newcastle Prioritise New Defenders' Contracts

The Magpies' new football chief, Ross Wilson, has placed new deal discussions involving important defenders Tino Livramento and Sven Botman the priority on his to-do list for the club. He arrived after leaving Nottingham Forest recently and is reassured that playmaker Sandro Tonali has a deal that runs until 2029 with an option until 2030.

That has left Wilson free to prioritise negotiations for Livramento and Botman's representatives. With the former’s agreement ending in 2027 and Botman's in 2028, the club's efforts are being treated with some importance.

“My first few days after starting was when I discovered that Sandro’s deal was much more secure than the one I was expecting,” said Wilson. “But it’s no secret that the club would want to extend Tino’s contract and we wants to renew Sven Botman’s too. Those discussions are underway.”

Head coach Eddie Howe is missing Botman for the home game against Burnley on Saturday, with the defender expected to remain sidelined for a further period.

5. Nuno Says Paquetá Will Start Against Brighton

West Ham manager Nuno Espírito Santo has confirmed that Lucas Paquetá will return to the starting lineup for they play Brighton this Sunday, having completed his suspension following a sending-off against Liverpool.

“It is behind us,” Nuno remarked. “I am confident it won't happen again as he personally acknowledged the error. We spoke about it internally. I believe the matter is closed and it will not be repeated.”

Nuno also understands the significant pressure facing his team, currently 18th before Saturday's matches. “We cannot ignore it,” he said. “It is the situation. We have to face it. We are battling for our top-flight status. We can't hide it.”

Arteta Impressed by No 9 Deputy Merino

The Spanish midfielder may keep his place leading the line for Arsenal centre-forward even when the club's usual strikers return from injury. The midfielder has been deployed as an emergency No 9 because of fitness issues to Viktor Gyokeres, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus.

He scored the opener against Brentford and set up Bukayo Saka for their second goal in a 2-0 win that maintained {their|