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Publication date: Sunday, October 18, 2020 11:46
Pep Guardiola has defended Sergio Agüero after he was criticized for putting his arm on assistant referee Sian Massey-Ellis’s shoulder during Man City’s win over Arsenal.
Omen, who was making his first appearance since June following a knee injury, played a throw-in against him early in the second half of Saturday’s clash at the Etihad.
After discussing her case with Massey-Ellis, Aguero put his arm around her shoulder as she began to walk away.
Those actions drew attention on social media and also led his former teammate Micah Richards to claim that Aguero should “know better.”
Under rules introduced in 2016, players can be cautioned or sent off for touching match officials, depending on the nature of the incident. But Agüero’s actions went unpunished.
At his post-match press conference, Guardiola said: “Come on guys. Sergio is the nicest person I have ever met in my life.
“Look for trouble in other situations, not this one.”
Aguero played 65 minutes of his comeback before being replaced and was involved in the only goal of the match for Raheem Sterling in the 23rd minute.
Injury updates; Days compared to Kompany
Pep Guardiola provided updates on the injuries of a pair of defenders and said it would be a “big mistake” to compare new signing Ruben Dias with club legend Vincent Kompany.
Man City beat the winners 1-0 to secure three vital points against Arsenal.
The victory took on greater significance after Liverpool had previously lost points, a fact that Guardiola did not lose.
“It was an important victory,” said the Spaniard. “The clean sheet was important. They fought and wanted to win and try to do it.
“We knew it was going to be a close, difficult match, but for us winning matches is important for confidence and mentality.
On the injury front, Guardiola provided updates on a couple of defenders.
“Benjamin Mendy will be in three or four weeks,” he added. “Aymeric Laporte we hope to return sooner. Maybe a week, ten days. “
Ruben Dias performed admirably when City advanced to a clean sheet. But Guardiola was reluctant to make comparisons between himself and club legend Vincent Kompany.
“It will be a big mistake to compare Ruben Dias with Vincent. Vincent is unique. Ruben is young.
“He is a type of leader. He will lead the team. He is only 23 years old. We cannot forget that he plays in Portugal. We are delighted with what we have seen ”.
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