Pep Guardiola defends Sergio Aguero after he grabbed Sian Massey-Ellis

Aguero escaped any punishment for touching the assistant referee

Pep Guardiola has come to the defence of Sergio Agüero after the player was criticised for putting his hands on assistant referee Sian Massey-Ellis during Manchester City's win over Arsenal. Agüero was disputing a decision when he put his left hand on the shoulders and neck of Massey-Ellis after she gave a throw in Arsenal's way. His actions were widely criticised, with many pointing out that he would be far less likely to treat a male assistant referee in the same way. But City boss Guardiola has defended Agüero in an attempt to play the situation down. "Come on guys. Sergio is the nicest person I ever met in my life. Look for problems in other situations, not in this one," Guardiola said in his post match press conference. Agüero's former teammate and Sky Sports pundit Micah Richards, however, was less sympathetic, and said the Argentine should "know better." In 2016, rules were introduced meaning players can be cautioned of shown a red card for putting their hands on the officials, but Agüero escaped any punishment.