Manchester City 1 Sunderland 0: First of five, Manuel? Pellegrini leads his team to glory in the Asia Trophy

Manuel Pellegrini has been tasked with winning five trophies in five years at Manchester City but the Chilean is enough of a pragmatist to know that the Barclays Asia Trophy will not count as one of them.
Still, a winning habit is never a bad thing and City’s second successive victory in Hong Kong after two defeats on the South Africa leg of their tour meant that Pellegrini’s side finished on top of English rivals Sunderland and Tottenham in the Premier League’s prestige event.

Up for the cup: Vincent Kompany lifted the Barclays Asia trophy, but will hope he's holding more come May

Edin for a starting place: Manchester City's Edin Dzeko scored the winner against Sunderland in style

MATCH FACTS

MANCHESTER CITY: Pantilimon; Zabaleta, Kompany, Nastasic (Lescott 75), Clichy (Kolarov 62); Milner (Navas 46), Toure (Fernandinho 62), Garcia, Silva (Nasri 46); Dzeko, Negredo (Barry 79). Subs not used: Wright, Rodwell, Boyata.

Goals: Dzeko 9

SUNDERLAND: Mannone; Gardner, O’Shea, Brown, Colback; Johnson (Karlsson 61), Larsson, Cabral (Ba 46), Giaccherini (McClean 76); Altidore (Wickham 46), Sessegnon (Mandron 88). Subs not used: Pickford, Westwood, Vaughan, Cuellar, Roberge.

Referee: Anthony Taylor

It came courtesy of a fine strike from Edin Dzeko, scorer of City’s only goal in their win over South China on Wednesday, who has been given a second chance at the club by Pellegrini.

The Bosnia striker should have scored again when City were awarded a penalty for handball against El Hadji Ba midway through the second half but skewed his effort horribly high and wide.

A rueful glance at the much-maligned playing surface here was not fooling one observer who suggested that the Bosnia international was getting confused with the Hong Kong Sevens rugby.

The conditions didn’t help, of course, with heavy rain throughout the game putting more strain on the heavily sanded pitch that had already played host to Tottenham and South China earlier in the day. It just about held up and there seemed to be little suggestion that a second half injury suffered by Matija Nastasic could be blamed on the turf.

Dampen spirits: The match was blighted by horrendous weather and therefore a badly cut up pitch

Otherwise, it was a useful experience for Pellegrini. He got another 80 minutes out of Alvaro Negredo and gave half a game to David Silva and new recruit Jesus Navas. The Spain winger knows he has been signed for his pace but this Jesus was expected to walk on water as well, such was the state of the pitch at times.

Dzeko struck in the ninth minute when he met Wes Brown’s headed clearance with a wonderfully executed half volley with his left foot that flew past Vito Mannone from 25 yards.

Struggles: The torrential rain made life difficult for the players and more importantly the goalkeeper

Twice City were inches away from extending their lead, first when Craig Gardner tried to clear Silva’s inswinging freekick but succeeded only in heading the ball against the far post and hitting the near one with his forehead as he slid in the wet conditions, and then when the same player got back in time to hook Navas’s  shot past Mannone off the line.

Sunderland threatened when Costel Pantilimon produced diving saves from Emanuele Giaccerhini in the first half and Sebastian Larsson’s 20-yard freekick late on, but City were worthy winners.

Technically speaking, it will go down as a first trophy for Pellegrini. His new employers expect much much more, of course.