Antoine Semenyo’s Manchester City journey could hardly have begun in more emphatic fashion. Just days after completing his big-money move from Bournemouth, the Ghanaian forward delivered a standout performance in City’s astonishing 10-1 FA Cup third-round win over Exeter City at the Etihad Stadium.
The debut capped a whirlwind week that began with Semenyo officially sealing a five-and-a-half-year deal, a transfer confirmed earlier by SoftFootball as part of City’s long-term planning.
Deployed on the left wing, Semenyo wasted little time showing why Pep Guardiola has admired him for years. His pace, direct running and confidence on the ball immediately stretched Exeter’s defence.
City’s long-standing interest in the 26-year-old, previously revealed by Guardiola himself, was underlined by how quickly he fitted into the system, a point also highlighted by SoftFootball during the build-up to the move.
Semenyo’s impact was decisive. He provided a pinpoint cross for Rico Lewis to score City’s fifth goal shortly after the break, before getting on the scoresheet himself minutes later with a composed finish past Joe Whitworth.
In doing so, he became the first City player since Sergio Agüero in 2011 to both score and assist on a competitive debut, a remarkable milestone that added extra weight to an already memorable afternoon.
With Guardiola serving a one-match touchline ban, assistant coach Pep Lijnders led post-match duties and was quick to praise the new signing. He described Semenyo as humble, hard-working and exactly the type of profile City need, noting how quickly he absorbed instructions and applied them on the pitch.
Teammates echoed those sentiments, with Lewis pointing out that the forward’s quality was evident from his first training session. The numbers backed it up.
Semenyo completed 93 per cent of his passes, created more chances than any other player and contributed defensively, showing his all-round game. When he was substituted to a standing ovation, the moment felt complete.
After the match, Semenyo summed up the emotion with a simple message, as shared by Fabrizio Romano on his official X account.
Fabrizio Romano posted:
Antoine Semenyo: Man of the Match on my Man City debut. God is great.
A line that captured both gratitude and belief after a debut City fans will not forget.
