Premier League News: Mejbri Suspended for Spitting; City Boss Says 'Back Line Has to Get Better'
From the world of top-flight news, a notable player was given a significant suspension, a head coach has pointed out a player's errors to make a point, and Pep Guardiola has called for defensive betterment after a wild win.
Mejbri Given Four-Game Ban and Financial Penalty
The Clarets' player Hannibal Mejbri has been handed a four-game ban and a financial penalty following misconduct in a recent fixture against Leeds United. The governing body confirmed Mejbri was referred a separate disciplinary panel after allegations of spitting in the direction of away supporters at the 67th point during a 2-0 victory for Burnley.
An FA release explained: “An independent Regulatory Commission has sanctioned Burnley’s Hannibal Mejbri due to his actions during their top-flight match against Leeds on 18 October. The charge was that he acted in breach of the rules of the game and/or in a poor way by using offensive and/or indecent conduct by spitting at or in the area of Leeds United fans.”
It continued, “Mejbri later admitted the allegation, with the panel handing down a four-match ban and a fine following proceedings. The panel's full explanation for the sanction are to be released at a later date.” The team, now in 19th place in the Premier League table, visit 12th-placed Newcastle this Saturday.
2. Maresca Singles Out Tosin's Errors to Make a Point
The Blues' head coach Enzo Maresca has stated that a lack of experience is not an issue at team, pointing out that centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo's age did not stop the 28-year-old from having poorly in a 3-1 defeat to Leeds United.
The Italian coach, who oversees the youngest squad in the division, rejected the idea that mentality played a part in the poor result. He made his case by criticising Tosin, Chelsea's oldest outfield player on the pitch, who produced a mistake-riddled performance at the back.
“People always mention a lack of experience when we drop points,” the coach said. “After we defeated Barcelona, we drew with Arsenal, nobody was talking about older players. I understand that if we lose, people are always looking for an explanation, but in my view why we lost against Leeds was not down to inexperience, it was because we just weren't good enough.”
He added, “Who was the oldest one for us in the match? It was Tosin. Was he good? So, it’s not about experience. It’s about those 11 men, they were not up to standard.”
3. Guardiola Says Defensive Solidity 'Must Improve'
Pep Guardiola has insisted his team have taken lessons from their recent scare against Fulham and the episode has now been in the past. The team held on to claim a 5-4 victory in a incredible encounter on Tuesday, having led 5-1 with almost an hour played.
Coming after they fought off a fightback to win 3-2 in their previous fixture, prompting more questions regarding whether they possess resilient enough to sustain a challenge to leaders Arsenal. “That game is behind us,” he commented. “Valuable learnings, I hope. In the Premier League, for every team, one must learn from both good and bad in the good things and bad things and focus on what's next.”
“Of course I am worried,” Guardiola added. “We are trying to understand what happened, to not concede the goals. With the three goals against Leeds, and five goals against Fulham it shows our sides, right? Therefore, we have we have done many positive things. But how many shots on target had Leeds have? Three? Scored two. It’s not good. And attempts did Fulham ? Five, six? So, the average of shots conceded is too high. We have to be better.”
Newcastle Focus on Defenders' Deals
The Magpies' recently appointed football chief, Ross Wilson, has placed contract negotiations involving key defenders Tino Livramento and Sven Botman the priority on his to-do list for the club. He arrived after leaving Nottingham Forest recently and was pleased that playmaker Sandro Tonali is on a contract that runs until 2029 with an option until 2030.
That has left Wilson free to prioritise talks with Livramento and Botman's agents. With the former’s current deal set to expire in 2027 and the latter’s in 2028, the club's efforts have assumed some importance.
“My first three or four days after starting is when I found that Sandro’s deal is much more secure than I was expecting,” said Wilson. “However, it is well known that the club would want to extend Tino’s contract and also would want to extend Sven Botman’s as well. Those discussions are ongoing.”
Manager Eddie Howe is without Botman for the match against Burnley on Saturday, and he expected to be out for at least another week.
Nuno Confirms Paquetá Will Start Against Brighton
West Ham manager Nuno Espírito Santo has stated that Lucas Paquetá will return to start for they play Brighton on Sunday, having completed his suspension for the red card against Liverpool.
“It is behind us,” the manager remarked. “I am confident it won't be repeated as he himself admitted the error. We spoke about it in the dressing room. I believe it is over and it will not be repeated.”
Nuno also acknowledged the intense pressure on his side, currently 18th before Saturday's fixtures. “We cannot avoid it,” he said. “It's a reality. We must face it. We're fighting for our top-flight status. We cannot hide it.”
Arteta Impressed by Striker Deputy Merino
The Spanish midfielder could continue as Arsenal’s central striker despite the club's usual strikers are fit again. Merino has been playing as an emergency number nine because of fitness issues for Viktor Gyokeres, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus.
He scored the opener against Brentford before assisting Bukayo Saka for the second goal in a 2-0 victory which preserved {their|