The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
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It was a summer of change for Manchester City. Pep Guardiola left; so did their four most senior central midfielders – Rodri, Nico Gonzales, Tijjani Reijnders, and Bernardo Silva – as well as longstanding defender John Stones.
Enzo Maresca oversaw a Manchester derby victory and Champions League win over Porto in his first few weeks as head coach. But it’s an uncertain new era. How successfully will City challenge Arsenal, who the live football betting odds suggest are favourites for the Premier League title again?
One person who has remained in his place is Antoine Semenyo, Ghana’s attacking midfielder, signed from Bournemouth last January. ESPN rated Semenyo’s season as 9/10 and the best of any African player in the Premier League. His teammate Erling Haaland is also still in Manchester. Can the pair, along with an influx of new faces, get closer to Arsenal in 2026-27?
Semenyo’s start at City
Semenyo lifted Guardiola’s side immediately after his move north from England’s south coast. He ended the Premier League season with 17 goals, a career best (10 for Bournemouth and seven for City). He also scored the only goal and winner in the FA Cup final, an inventive backheel, in the victory over Chelsea.
The Ghana player does not get as many assists as certain comparable attacking midfielders or wingers – Semenyo notched only four in the league last season, though quickly got two in City’s first four league games this campaign. For comparison, Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United) got 21 last season; Rayan Cherki (also of City) got 12; and West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen got 11 to pair with his nine goals.
But goals are football’s most treasured stat, and Semenyo’s tally of 17 was only behind his teammate Haaland and Igo Thiago (Brentford), ahead of attackers like Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa), Joao Pedro (Chelsea), and Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest).
Semenyo’s stats
Semenyo racked up those 17 league goals without taking an extreme amount of shots (2.5 per 90 minutes for Bournemouth, and 2.0 for City). He also took 1.5 shots per 90 for Ghana at World Cup 2026, though failed to score as his country netted only twice in the group stage.
Passing is where Semenyo may want to improve this season. He made only 24.7 passes per 90 minutes for City in the league, a fairly low average for a player in a top team. 0.8 per 90 minutes of those were key passes (lower than his 1.3 figure at Bournemouth, which might be explained by his former side playing on the counter attack more frequently).
In the Champions League round of 16, Guardiola made the controversial decision to start Semenyo centrally, rather than in his customary right wing position. The plan failed as City lost 3-0 to Real Madrid, with Haaland and Semenyo largely unable to affect the game and eventually both subbed. In the second leg, Semenyo only appeared off the bench.
His new boss Maresca, so far, seems likely to play Semenyo wide, preferring Cherki in support of Haaland. Whether City can challenge Arsenal may depend on how all three get on under the new coach.
