Sergio Aguero grabbed a female referee by the shoulder while arguing a call during his team's 1-0 win over Arsenal on Saturday. Tim Groothuis-Witters Sport-USA TODAY Sports

Manchester City's Sergio Aguero grabs female referee while arguing call

By Erin Walsh | Last updated Oct 18, 2020 10:56 AM ET

Manchester City forward Sergio Aguero could find himself in a bit of trouble with the Premier League after grabbing a female referee by the shoulder while arguing a call during his team's 1-0 win over Arsenal on Saturday.

The incident happened just before halftime. Arsenal defender Gabriel appeared to clear the ball out of play off Aguero's foot. The referee, Sian Massey-Ellis, raised her flag and signaled for an Arsenal throw-in, which disgruntled Aguero.

As Aguero confronted Massey-Ellis, pointing to the line and trying to convince her that the ball was already on the other side of it when it hit him, she walked away from him. Aguero then grabbed Massey-Ellis near her neck, pulling her backward.

We have not heard the last of this. Sergio Aguero out of order here pic.twitter.com/XXreySE4zB
— Kevin Palmer (@RealKevinPalmer) October 17, 2020

Massey-Ellis moved Aguero's hand away and play resumed. Center referee Chris Kavanaugh didn't intervene during the incident, and Massey-Ellis didn't ask him to.

The contact wasn't welcome, nor should a player ever put his hands on a referee, regardless of gender. Touching a referee during a game can easily result in a player receiving a yellow card, but Aguero wasn't shown one on Saturday.

Aguero could see discipline from the league, but City manager Pep Guardiola downplayed the incident after the match, saying, “Look for problems in other situations, not in this one.”

Erin Walsh

Erin Walsh is a Boston sports fan through and through. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Bridgewater State University and currently is in pursuit of her Master's Degree in Journalism from Northeastern University. Follow her on Twitter @ewalsh90

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