Raheem Sterling baffling marks Ryan Shawcross and gives away penalty as Stoke hit back against Manchester City
Referee Mike Dean appears to be clamping down on any sort of holding in the box as he awards two spot-kicks
PEP GUARDIOLA may be one of the most tactically astute managers in the game - but everyone is struggling to work out why he had Raheem Sterling marking Ryan Shawcross at a corner.
The titchy City winger stands at just 5ft5 but was given the job of marshalling the 6ft2 centre-back during the opening exchanges of the second half at the Bet365 Stadium.
And not unsurprisingly, as Sterling fought to contain his far larger opponent, he was penalised for holding and referee Mike Dean gave a penalty.
It came after Dean had awarded City a similar spotkick in the first half, when Nicholas Otamendi was pulled down by Shawcross in what looked a 50/50 ball.
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Both spot-kicks were harsh and there looks to be a clear crackdown on contact in the box by Premier League officials this season.
Fans and pundits were quick to notice the odd matchup at the corners - and blast Pep for his lack of organisation.