Why Pep Guardiola Dropped Antoine Semenyo for the First Time at Man City
- Antoine Semenyo was left on the bench for the first time since completing his January move to Manchester City
- The Ghanaian forward was introduced in the second half as the Cityzens eased past Salford City in the FA Cup
- Pep Guardiola has explained the decision to rest the in-form attacker despite his electric start to life at the Etihad
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Manchester City left Antoine Semenyo out of the starting line-up for the first time since his high-profile switch from AFC Bournemouth, yet still secured a comfortable FA Cup win over Salford City on February 14.
The Ghana international began Saturday’s fourth round tie on the bench as Pep Guardiola rotated his squad.
Source: Getty Images
It marked the first occasion in nine outings that the 26-year-old was not named in the initial XI.
Despite the reshuffle, City remained in control and sealed a 2-0 victory. An own goal from Alfie Dorrington opened the scoring before Marc Guehi netted his first goal for the club to wrap up the contest.
That result sends the Sky Blues into the fifth round of the FA Cup, where they will face Newcastle United on March 7, according to Sky Sports.
Guardiola’s side, seven-time winners of the historic competition, are aiming for another deep run after last season’s painful final defeat to Crystal Palace.
Why Semenyo was benched vs Salford
Semenyo’s absence (against Salford) from the starting XI drew attention because of his bright start to life in Manchester.
Since completing a £62.5 million move, he has delivered five goals and two assists in nine appearances. Before the Salford clash, he had started every match.
Guardiola later clarified that the decision was strategic rather than punitive. With fixtures piling up and injuries affecting the flanks, the manager felt it was wise to manage minutes carefully.
“For this type of game [against Salford], we need wingers! We have just one [at the moment] with Antoine Semenyo, and he has [played] a lot of minutes," he explained, as quoted by CityReport.
"If you make quick shifts with Dokus, with Semenyos, with Savios the opponent defends in the 18-yard box for 90 minutes…
"To break teams like Salford or teams that defend deep, proper guys that have ability to dribble, ability to drop [the opponent] helps us a lot in our way we want to play!”
With Jeremy Doku sidelined and Savio still recovering, preserving Semenyo’s energy could prove crucial as the campaign enters its decisive phase.
Source: Getty Images
Semenyo set to start against Newcastle
Meanwhile, the London-born attacker is widely tipped to reclaim his place in the starting XI when City welcome Newcastle, a side he scored against in the Carabao Cup semis, on February 21.
According to Transfermarkt, Semenyo has registered two goals and two assists in eight appearances against the Magpies.
Notably, he remains unbeaten in those encounters, recording four wins and four draws - a good omen to Pep Guardiola and Man City, who are looking to hunt down Arsenal in the race for the EPL crown.
Pep Guardiola's first message to Semenyo revealed
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Antoine Semenyo shared the powerful first message he received from Pep Guardiola after joining Manchester City.
The Ghanaian forward revealed that the City manager urged him to trust his instincts - encouraging him to play with freedom, take on defenders, shoot boldly, and express himself without fear.
Source: YEN.com.gh
