Why Pep Guardiola Dropped Antoine Semenyo for FA Cup Semi Final vs Southampton
- Antoine Semenyo was left out of Manchester City’s squad for the FA Cup semi-final against Southampton
- Pep Guardiola rotated heavily after a congested schedule, with several key players benched and only a few retaining their places
- The Citizens came from behind to beat Southampton 2-1 at Wembley, booking a place in the FA Cup final
Antoine Semenyo was surprisingly left out of Manchester City’s squad for their FA Cup semi-final clash against Southampton FC on Saturday.
Manager Pep Guardiola made sweeping changes to his starting XI following City’s 1-0 win over Burnley FC at Turf Moor earlier in the week.
Source: Getty Images
Only Rayan Cherki, Matheus Nunes and Rayan Aït-Nouri retained their places for the Wembley showdown, as Guardiola looked to manage fatigue amid a demanding run of fixtures.
Several key players, including Erling Haaland, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Marc Guéhi and Bernardo Silva, were named on the bench, while Semenyo was omitted entirely.
It marked the first time since his reported £64 million move from AFC Bournemouth in January that he was not included in a domestic matchday squad.
Why Semenyo was left out vs Southampton
Speaking to the BBC via Metro Sports before kick-off, Guardiola explained that his selection was driven by concerns over energy levels rather than performance.
‘I have a lot of experience, at this stage when you play every three days, travelling. I felt an incredible loss of energy, mentally fatigued.
‘The selection is top, the players are top. It’s just I want to bring the energy we need to sustain our game as high as possible.’
Source: Getty Images
In a separate interview, Guardiola reiterated the importance of freshness, pointing to the intensity of recent fixtures, including demanding clashes against Arsenal FC and the toll of constant travel.
‘It’s not a gift, I told them it’s not because I want to make a turnover at this stage of the season, it’s just in the past when you play a run of three games, Arsenal, so demanding, three days later, so demanding, and travel to London, we need energy,’ Guardiola said.
‘We need rhythm, sometimes we play semi-final, Champions League quarter-finals, coming here, we’re so flat.
‘If it works it will be a good decision, if not [it won’t be].’
Meanwhile, Semenyo remains on course for an extraordinary first half-season at the club.
The Ghana forward joined City in January and has already collected one major honour after helping the club win the 2026 EFL Cup with a 2-0 final victory over Arsenal at Wembley on March 22, 2026.
Now, with City in the FA Cup final, Semenyo could soon add another medal to his trophy collection. Manchester City are also firmly involved in the Premier League title race.
Man City reach FA Cup final
Despite the changes, Manchester City booked their place in the FA Cup final with a 2-1 comeback victory at Wembley, Sports Mole reported.
Southampton looked set for a shock when Finn Azaz fired the Championship side ahead in the 79th minute.
However, City responded quickly as Jérémy Doku equalised with a deflected effort just four minutes later.
The turnaround was completed late on when Nico González scored the winner, sending Guardiola’s side through to the final.
City will now face either Chelsea FC or Leeds United as they look to lift the FA Cup this season.
Antoine Semenyo among top 5 African stars
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Antoine Semenyo has been tipped as one of the top five African players to watch at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, underlining his rapid rise.
His explosive club form has put him firmly in the spotlight as Ghana look to make an impact in North America.
Source: YEN.com.gh
