Where will Antoine Semenyo fit in at Manchester City?

Antoine Semenyo signed off at Bournemouth in poetic fashion after scoring a fine winner in their 3-2 victory over stuttering Tottenham.

The Ghana international has enjoyed the most prolific campaign of his career to date, and it now seems he is destined to secure a defining move to Manchester City.

With some of the top Premier League clubs eyeing a move for the 26-year-old, it is clear to see why the Citizens feel they must add the winger to their ranks.

However, given the outrageous quality that Pep Guardiola has at his disposal in wide areas, where will Semenyo fit into the Spaniard's system?

Where has Antoine Semenyo played for Bournemouth?

Since signing from Bristol City in 2023, Semenyo has been incredibly versatile, playing on both wings and even occasionally as a centre-forward when called upon.

While he featured more heavily on the right wing during his early days with the Cherries, he has been more favoured on the left side this season.

When analysing his statistics, it can be argued that he is equally as effective on either wing. The Ghanaian has scored 6 of his ten Premier League goals this campaign from the left, but he has played 8 more games on that flank.

During his career as a whole, Semenyo has more goal contributions from the left, in what must now be considered his favoured position.

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Manchester City's current system

It seems obvious that City need to strengthen their defence with Josko Gvardiol, Ruben Dias and John Stones all out injured, but instead they are adding even more firepower to an already frightening attack.

Guardiola has opted for a 4-1-4-1 formation in recent games, but regularly used an attacking 4-3-3 formation during the first half of the season.

Indeed, a 4-3-3 system favours two natural wingers, and during their most recent winning run, Rayan Cherki and Phil Foden played on either side, with Jeremy Doku occasionally starting.

However, in recent games, Bernardo Silva has played on the right-hand side with Foden and Cherki tucked in more centrally.

Essentially, the 10-time Premier League champions can be fluid, and Guardiola will engineer his attack depending on their opponents.

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Where will Semenyo feature for Man City?

Although Semenyo has been one of the league's top performers this term, there is no guarantee that he will slot straight into Guardiola's system.

First of all, it would make sense for City to return to a 4-3-3 formation to accommodate the 26-year-old, given the number of top-class wingers they will have at their disposal.

Nevertheless, how does Pep go about fitting Semenyo, Foden, Cherki and Doku into his side?

Well, he can't.

Pep roulette will likely go into overdrive, with heavy rotation depending on the competition and the opponent. The Citizens are still in every competition, so it would make sense to rest players when appropriate.

Out of Foden, Doku and Cherki, the Belgian is the least versatile, meaning that Foden will likely have to play more centrally, while Cherki can do so if required.

Whatever happens, Semenyo must now prove himself to his new boss, while he must also accept that his playing minutes will be numbered.

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