Man City Star Antoine Semenyo Explains How He Targeted Arsenal in Bournemouth Clash
- Antoine Semenyo has disclosed how he helped plot Arsenal’s defeat to Bournemouth in the Premier League
- His side, Manchester City, are locked in a tight title race with the Gunners this season
- The two teams will meet on Sunday at the Etihad Stadium in a clash that could decide who wins the English top flight
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Antoine Semenyo has stirred conversation after suggesting he played a quiet role in Arsenal’s unexpected defeat to Bournemouth, a result that has added fresh tension to the Premier League title race.
The Manchester City forward disclosed he reached out to former teammates before the game, asking for a favour that ultimately worked in his side’s favour.
Source: Getty Images
How Semenyo plotted Arsenal's downfall
Bournemouth stunned Arsenal with a 2-1 victory at the Emirates, thanks to goals from Eli Junior Kroupi and Alex Scott, rendering Viktor Gyökeres’ penalty meaningless.
The result denied Mikel Arteta’s side the chance to extend their lead at the top, opening the door for Man City to close the gap.
Semenyo later shared an interesting detail about the build-up to that encounter during a podcast appearance.
"The night before Bournemouth faced Arsenal I spoke to some guys, I told them: 'Hey do us a favour!"
Watch the full interview, as shared on YouTube:
It was a light-hearted remark, yet the timing proved telling. Arsenal dropped points, while City capitalised with a dominant win over Chelsea to cut the deficit to six.
Semenyo knows Bournemouth well. He spent three years with the Cherries after joining from Bristol City in January 2023 before making his move to Manchester City in early 2026.
During that spell, he made 110 appearances and scored 32 goals and provided 13 assists, establishing himself as a key attacking outlet, according to Transfermarkt.
Source: Getty Images
EPL race intensifies as City face Arsenal
Now at City, the 26-year-old is focused on finishing what his former side started. Pep Guardiola’s men host Arsenal on April 19 in a clash that could shape the destination of the title.
According to Livescore, Semenyo has made a bright start at his new club, scoring five times in 10 league matches.
However, he is yet to find the net against Arsenal, with no goals in six previous meetings and only one assist to show for his efforts.
Semenyo talks about the rivalry between Man City and Arsenal as shared on YouTube:
City head into the fixture with renewed belief after overcoming Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final, although recent league meetings favour the North London side, who have avoided defeat in the last five encounters.
For Semenyo, the stakes go beyond rivalry. A title win would place him in an exclusive group of Ghanaian players to have conquered England’s top flight.
He would join names such as Michael Essien, Daniel Amartey and Jeffrey Schlupp as the only Ghanaians to have clinched the EPL crown.
Semenyo leads most prolific Ghanaian players list
In a previous publication, YEN.com.gh analysed 10 Ghanaian attackers and their contributions during the 2025/26 club season.
Antoine Semenyo tops the list with 18 goals across all competitions, while Christopher Bonsu Baah recorded the lowest return among the group.
Source: YEN.com.gh
