Manuel Pellegrini, the new coach of Manchester City at the time, secured his first trophy with the team by winning the Barclays Asia Tour Trophy. The pre-season tournament featured Manchester City, Tottenham, Sunderland, and South China.
In the final, Manchester City emerged victorious with a 1-0 win over Sunderland, with the goal credited to Edin Dzeko. Notably, Dzeko also played a crucial role in qualifying the team for the final with his goal in the semi-final against South China.
The third-place match saw Tottenham dominating South China with a convincing 6-0 win. Jermaine Defoe particularly stood out, achieving a hat-trick in the match. While this trophy may not have been the primary target for the club’s leaders, it holds significance as the first piece of silverware for Manuel Pellegrini in his early days as the coach of Manchester City.
