English Football News: Hannibal Banned for Misconduct; City Boss Insists 'Defence Must Get Better'

This week's English football news, a notable midfielder was handed a significant suspension, a head coach has singled out a defender's mistakes to make an argument, and Pep Guardiola has called for defensive betterment after a wild win.

1. Mejbri Issued Four-Game Suspension and Fine

The Clarets' player Hannibal Mejbri has been given a four-game suspension and a financial penalty for misconduct during a recent match versus Leeds United. The Football Association stated the player was referred an independent disciplinary panel after an incident of spitting in the direction of visiting supporters at the 67th mark during a 2-0 win for Burnley.

An FA statement said: “An independent Regulatory Commission has sanctioned the Hannibal Mejbri due to misconduct in the Premier League game with Leeds of 18 October. The charge was that he acted in breach of the laws of football and/or in a poor way and/or engaging in abusive and indecent behaviour by spitting towards the direction of Leeds United fans.”

It continued, “Mejbri later admitted the allegation, and the Regulatory Commission handing down a four-match suspension and £15,000 after proceedings. The Regulatory Commission’s written reasons for the sanction will be published at a later date.” Burnley, currently 19th in the table, visit 12th-place Newcastle on Saturday.

Maresca Singles Out Adarabioyo's Mistakes to Prove a Point

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has argued that not having seasoned players is no an issue at team, highlighting that centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo's age did not prevent the 28-year-old from having a bad game during a 3-1 defeat to Leeds United.

Maresca, who oversees the youngest squad in the division, does not feel that inexperience was a factor in the poor result. He presented his case by singling out Tosin, Chelsea's most experienced player on the pitch, who produced a mistake-riddled performance in central defence.

“We always talk about a lack of experience when we drop points,” Maresca said. “After we defeated Barcelona, the draw with Arsenal, nobody was talking about older players. I understand that when we don’t win, we are always looking for an explanation, but I think 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 most senior player on our team on the pitch? It was Tosin. Did he play any good? Therefore, it isn't related to experience. It’s about those 11 men, they were simply not good enough.”

Guardiola Says Defence 'Must Improve'

Pep Guardiola has stated his team have learnt from their recent scare against Fulham and the game is now forgotten. City held on for a 5-4 win during a incredible clash on Tuesday, having led 5-1 with about 60 minutes gone.

This followed they fought off a fightback and won 3-2 in their previous game, it raised further doubts regarding whether they possess resilient required to mount a challenge against pace-setters Arsenal. “That game is behind us,” he said. “Valuable learnings, hopefully. At this level, at all the clubs, one must learn from what happens in the good things and bad things and think of the next one.”

“Naturally I’m concerned,” he admitted. “We try to understand the cause, so as not to concede the goals. With the three goals scored by Leeds, and the five against Fulham it shows the two sides, right? So, we have done plenty of good things. Yet how many attempts did Leeds ? Three? They scored two. It’s not bad. How many shots on target did Fulham have? Five, six? So the average of shots conceded is too high. We have to improve.”

4. Newcastle Focus on Defenders' Contracts

Newcastle United's new football chief, Ross Wilson, has made contract negotiations with important defenders Tino Livramento and Sven Botman the priority on his agenda for the club. Wilson arrived from Nottingham Forest in October and is reassured that playmaker Sandro Tonali has a contract that runs until 2029 and, potentially, 2030.

This allows Wilson to focus on negotiations for Livramento and Botman's representatives. With the former’s agreement set to expire in 2027 and Botman's in 2028, Newcastle's talks have assumed a certain urgency.

“The initial three or four days in the job is when I found that Sandro’s deal was much better than I had thought,” said Wilson. “But it’s no secret that the club wishes to renew Tino’s deal and also would want to extend Sven Botman’s too. These talks are underway.”

Manager Eddie Howe will be without Botman for the match with Burnley on Saturday, and he likely to be out for at least another week.

Nuno Says Paquetá Will Start for West Ham

West Ham head coach Nuno Espírito Santo has stated that Lucas Paquetá is back to the starting lineup for they play Brighton on Sunday, having completed his suspension for the red card against Liverpool.

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

Nuno also understands the intense strain facing his team, who are 18th ahead of the weekend matches. “We can't ignore it,” he admitted. “It is a reality. We must face it. We're fighting for survival. We cannot hide it.”

Arteta Pleased with No 9 Stand-in Merino

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

He scored Arsenal’s opener against Brentford before assisting Bukayo Saka for the second goal during a 2-0 victory which preserved {their|