Guardiola kisses fourth official Pawson as Arsenal snatch late leveller

Pep Guardiola provided one of the more unusual sights of the Premier League season after planting a kiss on the cheek of fourth official Craig Pawson during Manchester City’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners denied City victory thanks to a dramatic Gabriel Martinelli equaliser deep into stoppage time, cancelling out Erling Haaland’s ninth-minute opener and extending Arsenal’s unbeaten run against City in the league to five matches.

A cheeky moment amid the tension

According to 90min, Guardiola was involved in a lively exchange with Pawson on the touchline during the closing stages of the match. Rather than allowing the confrontation to boil over, the City boss suddenly leaned in and kissed the fourth official on the cheek.

Pawson appeared momentarily taken aback but reacted with a smile before returning to his duties, while Guardiola was seen laughing with his hands on his hips. Footage of the exchange quickly circulated on social media, with fans amused by the unexpected show of affection between manager and official.

The good humour proved short-lived for the City boss, however. Moments after Pawson signalled seven minutes of stoppage time, Arsenal struck to snatch a point, with Martinelli superbly chipping goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to level the scoreline.

Guardiola praises City’s resilience

Speaking to Sky Sports after the final whistle, Guardiola made no reference to the incident with Pawson but reflected on a difficult afternoon for his side against a strong Arsenal outfit.

“Today we played against a powerful team,” Guardiola said. “Hats off to our team for the resilience. It’s so difficult when you’re not effective with high pressing, it’s always tough in the build-up. We made some transitions. I think the result is fair. In general, Arsenal were better.”

Haaland’s early strike had given City the lead and appeared to have put Guardiola’s side in control of proceedings, only for Arsenal to grow into the contest and eventually find a way back through Martinelli’s clinical finish in the closing seconds.

The result means City remain without a Premier League win over Arsenal in their last five attempts, a run that will concern Guardiola as his side continue to battle for consistency at the top of the table.