‘He showed what he did at Bournemouth’ – Guardiola hails Semenyo’s City debut ahead of Newcastle Clash
Pep Guardiola has expressed confidence that Antoine Semenyo can build on an eye-catching start to life at Manchester City, after the Ghanaian forward impressed on his debut in the FA Cup.
Semenyo, who joined the former Premier League champions from AFC Bournemouth in a £65m move, made his first appearance for City in the third-round tie against Exeter City. The 26-year-old marked the occasion in style, scoring once and providing an assist as City swept aside their lower-league opponents 10-1.
Speaking ahead of City’s EFL Cup clash with Newcastle United, Guardiola was quick to highlight that Semenyo’s impact came as no surprise.
“He is a nice guy,” the City manager said. “He showed in a few actions [against Exeter] what he showed at Bournemouth, and hopefully he can continue to do it here.”
Semenyo’s blend of pace, power and direct running was on display from his first outing, offering a glimpse of why City were willing to invest heavily in the Ghana international. His debut performance has raised early optimism that he can adapt quickly to Guardiola’s demanding system.
While it was only one game, the signs were encouraging. For Semenyo, the challenge now is consistency and for City, the hope is that his strong first impression becomes a regular feature as the season progresses.
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