In a month that has felt like several seasons rolled into one, Antoine Semenyo has wasted no time making his mark at Manchester City.
Since completing his January move from Bournemouth, the 26-year-old forward has hit the ground sprinting at the Etihad, scoring six goals in a seamless transition from mid-table battles to the intensity of a title race. His impact has mirrored the form he showed at the Vitality Stadium, but the speed of his adaptation has raised an obvious question: how does a player settle so effortlessly into Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City mid-season?
For Semenyo, the answer began with a simple message.
“The first thing he said to me when I came was just continue playing your game,” Semenyo told Sky Sports. “Play free, express yourself, shoot, dribble, do whatever feels right for you.
“He doesn’t want me to take away from my game just because it’s a passing team and we keep the ball. There are going to be moments where I can express myself, and that gives me a lot of confidence.”
Guardiola, often criticised for a supposedly rigid, system-first approach, appears to have found renewed space for individual flair within his setup — and Semenyo has been one of the biggest beneficiaries. The Ghana international’s direct running, physicality and instinctive finishing have added a different dimension to City’s attack.
Explaining what he has learned under Guardiola so far, Semenyo revealed the fine tactical details that have sharpened his game.
“I feel like the way Pep wants to play, it’s about committing defenders,” he said. “You want to commit midfielders too. Once the space opens up, you either drive into it or go in behind.
“It’s so many little things I wouldn’t normally think about, but he thinks about everything. Now I’m thinking about it because of what he says all the time.”
That tactical clarity, combined with the quality around him, has made settling in easier than he imagined.
“Adjusting to this system has been key for me,” Semenyo added. “The players around me make it so easy. They’re always positive, always giving instructions, and they set me up to score goals. They make life easy.”
Life at City is a world away from what Semenyo was used to, but he has stepped into a winning machine still geared for success, even if the club has fallen slightly short of its previously dominant standards. Remarkably, it took him just 26 days to reach his first-ever cup final with his new club.
“It feels crazy,” he admitted while speaking at the Adidas Pred v F50: The Game event. “Honestly, I’ve never been in a final before. I’m just pinching myself.
“Playing against Arsenal — it’s going to be a top final, a top team. These are the moments every footballer dreams of. I’m lucky I’m living that reality.”
Guardiola, however, will be keen to ensure his players do not feel “lucky” to be there. City remain alive on four fronts, with fixtures coming thick and fast. Next up is a trip to Anfield to face Liverpool — a fixture that has become English football’s answer to El Clásico.
Semenyo knows the ground well. He scored twice there for Bournemouth on the opening day of the season and is relishing the chance to do it again on Super Sunday.
“It’s a statement game,” he said. “Probably one of our most important games of the season. We want to go there, pose our threats and be victorious.
“As an outsider, it’s always been incredible to watch. But being part of it is a different level. These games put fire in your belly.”
If the season ended now, Semenyo would already be enjoying the most prolific campaign of his senior career. But personal milestones are not enough.
Freedom alone does not satisfy him either.
“I always thought I wanted to be part of Man City,” he said. “But the hard work continues. If we want to be as successful as the previous City teams, we need to catch up with Arsenal and win the other trophies we’re in.
“There have been results that didn’t go our way, some draws here and there. Before the Newcastle game, the manager told us we need that fire in our bellies again.
“That fire is what’s going to start a new run for us. Hopefully, being victorious at the end of the season is the plan.”
