In the 90th minute of the match at the Emirates Stadium on 21/9, with Manchester City leading 1-0, Guardiola exchanged words with fourth official Craig Pawson before unexpectedly putting his arm around Pawson's neck and kissing him on the cheek. Pawson appeared momentarily taken aback, while Guardiola seemed jovial.

However, Guardiola's joy was short-lived. Just three minutes later, Gabriel Martinelli scored for Arsenal, leveling the score at 1-1. The Brazilian forward latched onto a long pass from Eberechi Eze and chipped the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper, Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Guardiola (left) kisses referee Pawson during the Arsenal 1-1 Man City match in the fifth round of the Premier League on the evening of 21/9. Photo: Sky Sports

The video of Guardiola's kiss quickly went viral on X (formerly Twitter). "Wow, he's starting to miss his wife," one user commented, referencing Guardiola's separation from Cristina Serra.

Some users questioned Guardiola's sexuality. Another compared the incident to the controversy surrounding former Spanish Football Federation President Luis Rubiales' forced kiss on player Jenni Hermoso. "That's sexual assault. He should be banned from managing and charged like Rubiales," the user wrote.

After the match, Guardiola expressed his acceptance of the 1-1 draw, acknowledging Arsenal's strong performance. "It was difficult with our high pressing and ineffective ball distribution," Guardiola said. "We’ve had a lot of tough matches this week. First against Man Utd, then the Champions League, and today against a strong opponent."

Manchester City currently sits in 9th place after five Premier League matches. They began the season with a 4-0 victory over Wolves, followed by losses to Tottenham (0-2) and Brighton (1-2), before defeating Man Utd 3-0 and drawing with Arsenal. In their opening Champions League match, Guardiola's team triumphed 2-0 against Napoli.

Guardiola has occasionally displayed unusual behavior in recent years. One possible factor is his marital difficulties. Earlier this year, British media noted that one of Man City's worst periods under Guardiola coincided with his marital problems. Last season, the Etihad club suffered early exits from the Champions League and the League Cup, lost to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final, and struggled in the Premier League, barely securing a top-five finish.

Guardiola met Cristina in 1994 and they married in a ceremony outside Barcelona 10 years later. They have three daughters. However, they have spent much of their marriage living apart. Their relationship reportedly began to deteriorate in 2019 when Cristina returned to Barcelona to focus on her fashion business. Guardiola's decision to extend his contract with Man City until 2027 was allegedly the "final straw."

Guardiola attempted to reconcile with his wife after they spent Easter together in Barcelona. The Man City manager reportedly committed to returning to Barcelona to visit his wife weekly between matches. This decision aimed to prevent them from being separated for weeks at a time. However, in early August, Spanish media reported that the marriage was beyond repair.

Thanh Quy (via X, Daily Mail)