Semenyo now Man City’s target man
Antoine Semenyo has wasted little time in making an impact at Manchester City.
On a tense afternoon at Elland Road last Saturday, with the title race tightening and Erling Haaland sidelined, the Ghana international stepped up to deliver a statement performance — and a priceless goal — as Manchester City edged Leeds United 1-0 to close within two points of leaders Arsenal.
It was not just another winner. It was further evidence that City’s January £62.5 million signing from AFC Bournemouth has settled with startling speed under Pep Guardiola — and is rapidly establishing himself as the club’s focal point in attack.
Target man
With Erling Haaland unavailable, City required penetration through the middle. Semenyo supplied it.
Operating with sharp intelligence and positional discipline, the 24-year-old read the moment perfectly. As Rayan Ait-Nouri fizzed a low cross across the six-yard box, Semenyo darted centrally, ghosted between defenders and tapped into an empty net. Clinical. Composed. Decisive.
In a side often accused earlier this season of being overly dependent on Haaland’s goals, Semenyo’s emergence offers a compelling counter-argument.
Since his arrival in January, he has scored six goals in 11 appearances in all competitions, becoming City’s top scorer in 2026 and easing the burden on the Norwegian marksman. In the Premier League alone, he now has 14 goals — his most prolific campaign to date — and 18 goal involvements overall. Only Haaland (29) and Brentford’s Igor Thiago (19) have been involved in more.
The shift is notable. Back in late November, Haaland had accounted for 58 per cent of City’s goals, 30 per cent of their shots and 57 per cent of their expected goals (xG).
Now, while his tally of 29 still leads the way, Semenyo’s consistent output has diversified City’s attacking threat and recalibrated the narrative.
Guardiola's tactical evolution
Semenyo’s impact has not come without adjustment.
Under Guardiola’s meticulous system, his role is nuanced. In possession, he operates in narrower channels, drifting centrally to support the striker and attack the half-spaces. Out of possession, he is instructed to stay wider, preserving defensive structure and pressing balance.
It is a demanding brief, tactically and physically.
“It’s been tough, it hasn’t been easy,” Semenyo admitted after the Leeds victory. “I think how he wants me to be is high in attacking positions, be out wide — and once we have the ball defensively, be narrow. It’s obviously not easy, it’s a hard graft, but I’m quite versatile in that sense.”
That versatility is proving invaluable.
“The hard work starts every day in training,” he added. “The boys just make it so easy for me to adapt, they try to play to my strengths. Same with the coach, he’s trying to help me just be confident, be calm in some moments, and pop up and score some goals.
“It’s all about adapting. I’m enjoying the process, and I’m playing around world-class players, so it’s making me better and keeping me on my toes.”
Semenyo’s arrival has coincided with a surge in City’s form. Four successive league victories — and just one defeat in seven — have hauled them firmly back into the title conversation.
There is a growing sense that City are evolving beyond a one-dimensional reliance on Haaland. Semenyo’s movement, directness and willingness to attack central spaces have added a different texture to Guardiola’s frontline. He is not merely deputising; he is dictating.
For a player still in his first months at the Etihad, that represents an emphatic statement.
The Ghanaian arrived as reinforcement. Now, he is fast becoming indispensable.
And with the title race tightening and silverware within reach, Semenyo is not hiding his ambition. This, he hopes, will be the season he claims his first major trophy in sky blue.
