There's nothing like Premier League controversy to ignite furious debate among football brethren regards the state of the game.
And, let's be honest, there has been nothing quite like what happened shortly after the half-time whistle sounded in Liverpool's clash against Arsenal at Anfield on Sunday.
More than 48 hours on, discussion continues to rage over the altercation between Andy Robertson and assistant referee Constantine Hatzidakis in which the official was caught on camera appearing to glance an elbow into the throat of the Reds' left-back.
Such discourse is hardly surprising given the almost complete lack of precedent for the frankly bizarre exchange that, even in this most curious of Premier League campaigns, has shot to the summit of strangeness.
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And much is now centring around what should happen next as the Football Association continue to investigate an incident that has shone further light on the issue of behaviour between players and officials after Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic was slapped with an eight-game ban - which the FA want extended - for pushing referee Chris Kavanagh during the FA Cup defeat at Manchester United last month.
Hatzidakis has already been taken off duty by the PGMOL while the FA have contacted Liverpool to offer their observations.
And there is a growing movement blaming Robertson - who appeared to briefly grab the assistant referee by the arm to initiate a response - with calls for the player to be given a more severe punishment than the booking he received at the time from referee Paul Tierney.
That, though, would leave the authorities open to accusations of a lack of consistency after Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes escaped censure for pushing assistant referee Adam Nunn during Liverpool's 7-0 win at Anfield five weeks ago, even if there had first been contact from the official towards the player.
Jurgen Klopp, while having had his fair share of run-ins with officials over the years, has instilled an ethos of fair play in his squad during his Anfield tenure. Questions, though, are bound to be asked given Sunday's incident came mere days after the Reds were charged by the FA for failing to control their players after referee Simon Hooper was surrounded following his failure to send off Manchester City midfielder Rodri the previous weekend at the Etihad.
What cannot be avoided, however, is an official seemingly struck a player in a manner that, had it been the other way around, would have resulted in a ban to make Mitrovic's suspension seem a trifling inconvenience.
Only Hatzidakis will know why he reacted in such a way. Was it instinctive at his personal space being invaded by Robertson? Most probably. Did he mean to catch the Liverpool man in such a manner? Almost certainly not.
Match officials, attempting to keep control of a high-pressure sport where teams often push the boundaries to near breaking point, have a hard enough job as it is without having players up in their faces, with the Reds not even close to being the worst proponents of such intimidation. VAR, brought in to help decision-making, has served only to further highlight wrong calls and raise angst towards referees. And the lack of respect shown at grass roots level has become so pronounced that some have been compelled to retire their whistle and notebook.
None of that, though, precludes officials from being judged by the same laws that are there to help protect them. Some things you simply can't do, no matter what the provocation.
The astonished and angry response of the nearby Reds players demonstrated their initial feelings in response to such an odd incident. But that Hatzidakis continued to officiate in the second half with no obvious rancour from the home side suggests they had swiftly parked any issue with the assistant referee, who himself showed no sign of being influenced by the matter.
The fact the official is already missing games is punishment in itself, although it would perhaps be wise in any case for him to be spared the limelight for a few weeks until the furore dissipates.
Hatzidakis, an experienced operator who has been working in the Premier League for four years, knows he cannot respond like he did, much like Robertson will be aware he overstepped the mark by allowing his emotions to boil over when approaching the assistant referee. It may not have been anything like as inflammatory as Mitrovic or many other interactions with officials, but it was still incorrect. The pair will regret their respective roles.
But such an unprecedented situation requires a sensible conclusion. While banning either Hatzidakis or Robertson would sate the extremes of the argument, the FA would be wise not to make an example of the duo.
Instead, the bizarre incident itself should instead be used to highlight a much wider issue that now must be addressed from top to bottom in the domestic game.
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