In his first public comments since Enzo Maresca took the helm at Manchester City, attacking winger Antoine Semenyo has praised the new manager’s tactical approach, calling its focus on aggressive wide play exactly what he thrives on as an explosive one-on-one threat.
Maresca’s first match in charge of the Premier League giants ended in a penalty shootout defeat to Inter Milan during a pre-season friendly in Hong Kong, but the club clearly displayed the new head coach’s signature attacking ambitions, which Semenyo says align perfectly with his playing strengths. The 24-year-old started the first half against Inter, where his blistering pace and direct running tormented Inter full-back Andy Diouf, and he created the build-up that led to Divin Mubama’s equalizer for City. Young substitute Ryan McAidoo also turned in an eye-catching performance, prompting Maresca to note after the match that both Semenyo and McAidoo fit exactly the profile of winger he prefers: aggressive, direct, and unafraid to take on defenders in one-on-one duels.
Semenyo explained that he already knew Maresca’s tactical philosophy from the Italian’s time at Chelsea, where Maresca regularly deployed his wide players high up the pitch with creative freedom. That long-stated approach is what made Maresca’s appointment so exciting for him. “When he got appointed, that was the first thing I thought about because when you’ve played Chelsea previously when he was there, his wide men were always high and quite free,” Semenyo said. “So that was one of the things that excited me the most when he got appointed and it’s exciting for me as a winger. I get to have one-v-one situations most of the game and I am looking forward to it.”
The winger added that he has already held one-on-one tactical meetings with Maresca to clarify exactly how the manager wants his wide players to operate, and says the new boss’s ideas share core similarities with the approach of former City manager Pep Guardiola, while leaning even more into direct wide attacking. “I think his ideas are great, quite similar to Pep, but if you watched the [Inter] game, you would have seen a couple of his ideas play out and it was good. Enzo just [tells us to] stay out wide and when you get the ball, just create opportunities. So it is music to my ears.”
Semenyo joined Manchester City from Bournemouth in the January 2025 transfer window for a £65 million fee, with Guardiola beating off reported interest from major rivals including Manchester United, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea to secure his signature. The player recalled that initial transfer contact came in early December, with extensive negotiations over the following month before he finalized his decision to move to the Etihad Stadium. He also expressed deep gratitude to his former club Bournemouth for nurturing his career in the top flight. “I owe them everything to be honest,” Semenyo said. “They helped my Premier League career flourish and obviously the management, the staff behind the scenes, they were all amazing, they made everything so smooth.”
Last season, Semenyo notched an impressive 21 goals across all competitions for both club and country. That tally included the winning goal in Manchester City’s FA Cup final victory over Chelsea, a moment he calls a “dream come true”, and he also lifted the Carabao Cup with the club during his first six months at the club. He explained that Guardiola’s personal pitch to him, which promised to develop his game, was a major factor in his decision to join City. “I think for me, I just wanted the next step to be the big one and Manchester City was the option. Pep spoke to me beforehand and he said, ‘look, when you come, I am going to make you a better player’.” He added that Guardiola delivered on that promise in his first five months at the club, and that he regrets seeing the long-serving manager depart the club.
Beyond his football career, Semenyo also opened up about his devout Christian faith, which he says is the foundation of his success as a player. The winger has multiple faith-focused tattoos across his body, and he was baptized by a local pastor last December — a step he says he had wanted to take for many years, but could not schedule until last winter due to his packed football calendar. “I know that I am obviously walking with God at the moment, and I want to maximise my faith as much as I can, so practising gives me the opportunity to do that,” he said. “When I got the opportunity, I made sure I took it. I am so happy I have done it and I am in the walk of faith now and it’s been amazing.”
Semenyo says he makes a habit of praying before every match, alongside fellow faith-focused teammates Jeremy Doku and Marc Guehi the night before games at the team hotel, a routine that he says gives all three players “maximum strength”. When asked if his faith comes before his football career, he answered without hesitation: “Yeah, 100%. I wouldn’t be here without him [God], so there is always going to be faith and football after. I think God gave me the talent to be a footballer, he gave me all the skills, he gave the mindset and the mentality, so I owe it to him to perform and maximise his words to the world.”