Semenyo's sweet honeymoon period!

When Antoine Semenyo was first signed, Man City fans probably thought he would need time to prove himself and secure a spot at his new club. However, Semenyo didn't have to struggle as he scored in both of his first two matches after leaving Bournemouth to join Etihad.

As Man City struggled against Newcastle’s defensive tactics, winger Antoine Semenyo immediately brought joy to coach Pep Guardiola. This is because he was Guardiola’s choice in the 2026 winter transfer window, and Semenyo’s brilliance serves as a catalyst and boost for Man City’s hopes to climb in the remaining season, especially in the Premier League title race against Arsenal.

Returning to the match against Newcastle, Semenyo — the newcomer from Bournemouth — opened the scoring for The Citizens early in the second half, with a smart run to tap the ball into the opponent’s empty net. This goal paved the way for Man City's 2-0 victory, sending them straight to the 2025/26 English League Cup final.

A slight regret for Semenyo: he could have completed a brace in the game at Newcastle. Unfortunately, his second goal shortly after the opener was disallowed. VAR intervened and confirmed that Erling Haaland was offside when Semenyo scored his second goal against the home team.

Even without the brace, Semenyo has reasons to be happy. He has scored in two consecutive matches since joining Man City in the 2026 winter transfer window for £64 million. Previously, in his debut for the Blues in the FA Cup third round, the Ghanaian international also contributed a goal in Manchester’s 10-1 thrashing of Exeter.

Thus, Semenyo became the first player to score in both of his first two games for Man City since striker Manuel Adebayor achieved this in 2009. This indicates (at least for now) that Guardiola can be quite satisfied with this choice.

Semenyo’s performance greatly pleased coach Pep Guardiola. In the post-match press conference after the 2-0 win over Newcastle,the Spanish manager enthusiastically shared with the English media about the new signing from Bournemouth: “He plays very flexibly and skillfully but always knows exactly what to do. Semenyo consistently picks the best positions to receive passes from teammates. I’m truly pleased with what Antoine Semenyo showed at St. James’ Park.”

Based on Pep’s hints, it’s very likely the Ghanaian international will start in the Manchester derby in the 22nd round of the Premier League. This seems to be Guardiola’s only choice, though it’s possible he might bluff. Guardiola often says player A or B will start but then changes his mind. Still, given Semenyo’s current form and Man City’s need to catch up with Arsenal, Guardiola will probably consider “not changing.”

In the last two matches for Man City, Semenyo played as a familiar winger. In his FA Cup debut, Guardiola placed him on the left flank, while in the recent 2-0 win over Newcastle, he operated on the right wing.

It’s clear that regardless of his position, Semenyo is always a key spark in Manchester’s attacking play. His integration is so good that now other players must strive to impress Guardiola to avoid being benched. This is definitely what Guardiola hopes for because a competitive and hungry squad benefits Man City’s development.

Seeing how incredibly fast Semenyo adapted to Man City, Paul Scholes believes the player should have chosen MU instead of Man City: “I don’t think Man City needs him. Semenyo doesn’t seem like the type of player who fits Man City, you know what I mean? He’s only good at speed and strength, lacking the finesse and technical skills you expect at Man City, like David Silva or Phil Foden.

From what I see, Semenyo doesn’t have that style. But you’d still want him for many reasons, including squad depth. Personally, I wish MU had him. Semenyo would suit MU better. At Bournemouth, he was a big fish in a small pond; now he’s just an ordinary player at Man City and certainly no longer the team’s focal point.

This is quite similar to Jack Grealish’s case, who excelled at Aston Villa as the soul of the team, much like Semenyo was at Bournemouth. Now things are a bit different for him. Looking at Man City, they need a center-back and a right-back more than another attacker.”.

It’s hard to say whether Semenyo fits MU better than Man City. The key point is that at Man City, Semenyo receives much more support compared to MU.