£65M SOLUTION: GUARDIOLA TARGETS SEMENYO AFTER LEVERKUSEN LOSS
After a shocking home loss to Leverkusen, Man City's hopes in the UCL are in doubt. Pep may spend big on Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo to partner with Haaland.
Pep Guardiola shook things up for Tuesday's Champions League game against Bayer Leverkusen, keeping only Nico González in the starting lineup, and it didn't work out.
Manchester City lost at home in the group stage for the first time since September 2018 against Olympique Lyonnais. Leverkusen won comfortably, 2-0, at the Etihad.
Nico O'Reilly, Jérémy Doku, and Phil Foden came on at halftime, with Rayan Cherki and Erling Braut Håland joining them later, but they didn't really threaten Leverkusen's goal.
Now, City's chances of finishing in the top eight in the Champions League are in doubt. They're heading to Real Madrid in two weeks, before playing Bodø/Glimt near the Arctic Circle and then Galatasaray at home in late January.
After the game, Guardiola talked about his team's lack of depth, which might push him to make a move in the January transfer market for what some are calling the best winger in the country.
Man City Eyes Attacking Options
This past January, Manchester City spent around £180 million on Abdukodir Khusanov, Vitor Reis, Juma Bah, Nico González, and Omar Marmoush, outspending all other Premier League clubs combined.
Reports from Spain say they might spend big again this winter, with Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo as a 'priority target.'
Man City is reportedly 'considering' a January move for the Ghanaian attacker, along with Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham, and others.
Earlier this month, it was reported that Semenyo has a £65 million release clause that kicks in on January 1st. This means he could choose his next club, and Bournemouth couldn't stop him from leaving.
How Semenyo Could Help Manchester City
Chris Waddle, a former England player, has claimed that Semenyo is the best winger in the country this season. Anantaajith Raghuraman from The Athletic even suggested he's 'the best player in the Premier League right now.'
That's not too far-fetched, seeing as he's already scored six goals and made three assists this season.
Semenyo has been a standout player in the league so far.
Only Håland, Igor Thiago, and Danny Welbeck have scored more goals. Among players with at least 10 shots on target, only Håland has a higher percentage, showing how clinical he's become.
One of the main benefits of signing Semenyo in January would be to take some pressure off Håland.
Håland already has 14 league goals, but the only other City player to score more than once is Maxime Estève, who scored two own goals in the game against Burnley in September.
Players like Foden, Cherki, and Doku have shown flashes of brilliance, but not as consistently as Semenyo has been performing on the South Coast.
So, alongside Håland, he could form a great partnership that could bring the good times back to the Etihad as they try to catch up with Premier League leaders Arsenal.
THE SEMENYO EFFECT: HOW MAN CITY’S JANUARY SIGNING BECAME THEIR MOST CLINICAL FINISHER YET
No Haaland, no problem: Antoine Semenyo netted his sixth goal in 11 games as Manchester City piled pressure on the Gunners.
Antoine Semenyo’s first-half goal gave Manchester City a tough 1-0 win at Leeds, closing the gap to Premier League leaders Arsenal to just two points.
Semenyo has just kept scoring since he arrived from Bournemouth in January. Right before halftime, he finished off a rare chance with real composure – one shot, one goal – and that’s all City needed.
That’s four league wins in a row for City. Arsenal have to feel the pressure now before their match against Chelsea on Sunday. As for Leeds, they’ll be kicking themselves after wasting several good chances in the first half.
Daniel Farke’s side have only lost three of their last 15 league games, but this one stings – a rare defeat under the Elland Road lights. Leeds still sit six points clear of the drop zone, but they know it could’ve been more.
City played this one without their top scorer, Erling Haaland. He picked up a minor knock in training, so he missed out on facing his boyhood club. Rayan Cherki stepped in as City’s only change from last week’s win over Newcastle. Leeds kept the same lineup that drew with Aston Villa.
Leeds have been fighting for survival ever since Phil Foden’s late winner at the Etihad back in November. Since then, they’ve only lost twice in 14 league games. They almost got off to the perfect start here, too. In just the third minute, Dominic Calvert-Lewin somehow sent Brenden Aaronson’s perfect cross wide from right in front of the goal.
The game paused in the 11th minute, so City’s Muslim players could break their Ramadan fast. Soon after, Calvert-Lewin had another go from a tight angle but missed again.
City’s keeper, Gianluigi Donnarumma, caught a shot from James Justin, and Aaronson fired just wide after a cross from Jayden Bogle. Leeds pressed hard and won the ball high up the pitch, but they couldn’t make it count.
About 15 minutes before halftime, City started to get a grip on the game. Even then, Leeds had another big chance. Aaronson broke free on the counter, but Donnarumma stood firm in a one-on-one. Then City finally threatened: Nico O’Reilly’s header forced a good save from Karl Darlow.
Right before the break, City struck. Rayan Ait-Nouri sprinted down the left, picked out by Cherki’s brilliant pass, and crossed for Semenyo to tap in his sixth goal in 11 City matches.
Leeds came out flying again after halftime. Matheus Nunes blocked Calvert-Lewin in the box with a last-ditch tackle, but City soon settled into their rhythm.
Darlow had to make a spectacular save to deny Marc Guehi’s header. After that, City controlled most of the play, while Leeds worked hard to keep them from creating more clear chances.
Near the end, the home crowd came alive when substitute Jaka Bijol’s header went inches wide. But City held on, securing their 18th league win of the season.
ZEN MASTER: WHY PEP GUARDIOLA REFUSES TO GIVE MIKEL ARTETA ANY TITLE ADVICE
Pep Guardiola speaks out: Read why he won't advise Mikel Arteta, City’s Real Madrid UCL draw, and the plan for Elland Road today.
Pep Guardiola doesn’t want to talk about the pressure of chasing the Premier League title. When someone asked if he had any advice for Mikel Arteta, he just shook his head. “I’m not here to give advice,” he said. “I don’t even remember what that kind of pressure feels like.”
Right now, Guardiola’s Manchester City are five points behind Arsenal, but they’ve got a game in hand. He knows all about tight races; he’s guided City to six titles, plus he’s racked up league trophies with both Barcelona and Bayern Munich. Arteta, meanwhile, is still hunting for his first.
City have clawed their way back into the fight lately, after a rough patch earlier this year when they only managed one win out of six. Now, people are talking about a dramatic finish to the season, but Guardiola isn’t interested in the hype. For him, it’s all about the next match. “Honestly, I don’t think about it,” he said. “When we went head-to-head with Liverpool a few years back, I didn’t realise it in the moment, and I don’t now. All I’m thinking about is Elland Road.”
On top of that, City just found out they’ll be facing Real Madrid again in the Champions League’s last 16. Guardiola knows the Spanish giants well; he’s faced them 11 times since taking over at City, including a win at the Bernabeu last December. He actually likes these big matchups. “The more you play the best, the more you learn and improve. It pushes the club to get better,” he said.
This time, City go into the Leeds game a bit fresher. For the first time in 2026, they’ve had a couple of weeks without a midweek fixture. Guardiola even gave the squad three days off after beating Newcastle last Saturday. “They’ve trained well these last few days. "Everyone's ready for Elland Road,” he said. “From September onwards, you never get long weeks. But when you do, you have to take advantage. Train less, recover more. That’s how you keep everyone sharp.”
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