Manchester City environment ‘perfect’ for Antoine Semenyo after strong start
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Antoine Semenyo (centre) is the first City player to score in his first two appearances for the club in all competitions since Emmanuel Adebayor in 2009.
PHOTO: AFP
LONDON – Antoine Semenyo believes that he has made the right choice after scoring in each of his first two games for his new club Manchester City.
The Ghana international has made an instant impact since his £65 million (S$112.6 million) move from Bournemouth and netted the opening goal in City’s 2-0 League Cup semi-final, first-leg win at Newcastle United on Jan 13.
Semenyo, who scored in a 10-1 thrashing of Exeter City
“The whole environment here is perfect. Everyone is confident and wanting to achieve the best. I have come into that and they helped with my confidence and made me feel welcome,” said Semenyo, who now has 12 goals in all competitions this season.
“It’s been a lot but I have enjoyed it so far. I am picking things up very quickly and enjoying it.
“I am just taking the confidence I had from Bournemouth here and playing with a smile on my face. I am enjoying every moment.”
Semenyo, 26, is the first City player to score in his first two appearances for the club in all competitions since Emmanuel Adebayor in 2009.
Rayan Cherki struck what could be the knockout blow to the holders deep into nine minutes of added time, due to the interruption for the VAR review on Semenyo’s disallowed goal.
Despite taking a commanding lead, City were still furious at the decision, with manager Pep Guardiola citing two penalties his side were also not awarded in their 2-1 defeat by Newcastle earlier in the season in the English Premier League.
“I think my players were angry,” said Guardiola.
“Four officials and VAR were not able to take the decision, they had to go to the referee. Maybe it (the VAR delay) helped us to be that way. We know how it works and it made us stronger. The spirit was there. But I feel it and smell it in every training session.”
When asked to elaborate on what he feels is going on with the officiating, he added: “Ask them. Who is the boss of the referees? Ask him (Howard Webb). It’s the semi-finals. We play for a lot to reach the final. It will make us stronger.”
Newcastle’s best chances came just after the break when City goalkeeper James Trafford did superbly to push a Yoane Wissa effort against the crossbar and Bruno Guimaraes fired a low shot against the woodwork.
Eddie Howe’s side last season claimed Newcastle’s first domestic silverware since 1955 when they beat Liverpool at Wembley in March, but they now face an uphill battle to reach a second successive final.
He was disappointed with the rule change that meant Semenyo was eligible to play in the competition despite also featuring for Bournemouth in the second round in August, and his fears were justified as the winger tormented his side.
Things might have been different for Newcastle had Wissa not blazed an early chance over the crossbar.
“Looking back with hindsight, you’d say that’s potentially a big turning point,” Howe said of the chance. “We wanted to get the crowd fully into the match.”
On the late goal conceded, he added: “It is a body blow... but not fatal at the moment, we are still in there fighting.
“I think maybe (we had) a bit of naivety with a minute to go on the clock, that we are still trying to chase a goal. In that moment, we needed to defend after we got our structure wrong from that position, and then we got punished.” AFP, REUTERS
