Antoine Semenyo, the "Killer" Manchester City Misses

The confidence of the Manchester City squad in securing the English Premier League title is currently at its lowest point following three consecutive draws. However, do not think that the resistance from the team coached by manager Pep Guardiola is over. The arrival of new player Antoine Semenyo could change the landscape of competition in the second half of the season.

According to Sky Sports, City successfully signed Semenyo from Bournemouth for a total purchase package worth £64 million (Rp 1.44 trillion) on Friday (January 9, 2026). The 26-year-old Ghanaian winger has signed a five-and-a-half-year contract, running until the summer of 2031.

Semenyo became City's first signing in the January transfer window. Acquiring a forward may not have been a priority for City considering the current squad situation. They are experiencing a defensive crisis after losing two center-backs to injury, namely Josko Gvardiola and Ruben Dias.

Nevertheless, the transfer had been planned long before the crisis occurred. City, like many other major clubs, was reluctant to miss the opportunity to recruit Semenyo with a release clause that was only active at the beginning of January. The player's characteristics happened to align perfectly with the profile needed by the team.

"The killer," that is the figure Guardiola has been searching for among the wingers in recent years. Their wingers, Jeremy Doku and Savinho, are skilled at dribbling the ball, but they are not reliable in scoring against opponents. Just look, the two players have only combined for one goal after more than half a season of domestic league play.

In modern football, the role of wingers has become increasingly important year by year. The flanks are almost always the mainstay of the attack. Last season, for example, Liverpool won the league relying on the Egyptian winger, Mohamed Salah, who successfully became the top scorer and assist provider.

That profile was increasingly missed by City at the beginning of 2026. They recorded three consecutive draws in the league due to a lack of goals. Guardiola could almost only rely on striker Erling Haaland to consistently score. When Haaland went through a drought, as in the last three matches, City lost their grip.

Guardiola lamented the series of anticlimactic results. For him, City could have garnered nine points from impressive performances against Sunderland, Chelsea, and Brighton. "I like the team's play, but we were unable to score. It is not because of one or two players, but all the players in front. Scoring is part of the duty," he stated following the 1-1 draw with Brighton yesterday.

City successfully recorded a value of 5.81 xG (expected goals) from 49 shots in the last three matches. However, Haaland and his teammates were only able to produce two goals. One of those goals came from Haaland's penalty execution against Brighton. This means they only managed to create one goal from open play.

Semenyo recently demonstrated why City need him. In his final match, Bournemouth versus Tottenham, he scored the winner with a powerful shot from outside the box. The goal came in a crucial moment of injury time, with his team still tied at 2-2.

The player, born in London, England, is a distinguishing figure in the opponent's defense. He has proven his capabilities with a record of 10 goals and 3 assists in the league this season, with only Haaland (20 goals) and Brentford's Thiago (16 goals) being more productive. Furthermore, there is no winger in the league who exceeds his goal contributions.

Since the beginning of the season, Semenyo has made several surprises. He managed to score one of the best goals of the season through a solo effort against Liverpool. The former Bristol City player dribbled the ball from a third of the field into the opponent's penalty area and executed the opportunity on his own.

The goal from this transitional situation will be needed by City in the future. As is known, Guardiola has revamped the team's attacking system this season. City, which is usually very patient in initiating attacks, now more frequently executes quick counterattacks. Evidently, according to Opta, they have already produced 24 shots from transitional situations in just 21 matches, nearly matching last season's record (28 times).

Interestingly, Semenyo will make City's wing attack much more varied. The player can use both feet equally well. He has recorded 47 shots this season. Those shots are almost evenly divided between his two feet, with 24 from the left and 23 from the right. Opposing defenders always find it difficult to predict his threats.

Moreover, Semenyo can also play on both the right and left flanks. He filled the right wing position in the match against Arsenal last Saturday. Just a few days later, the athletic player was deployed on the left wing in the match against Tottenham. This positional flexibility will support creativity in Guardiola's strategy.

"He (Semenyo) has developed every season. He has scored 10 goals in half a season and he is not even a central striker. It's not just his numbers, but many other things, such as his physicality, ability to control the ball in the air, and defensive aspects. He will be greatly missed," said Bournemouth Coach Andoni Iraola.

The problem is that joining Guardiola's team has never been easy. The City system is very complex, especially for new players coming from mid-table clubs. This has often been evident at City, where new players need to adapt for at least half a season before they can perform optimally. That challenge is also awaiting Semenyo. (AP/REUTERS)