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DOKU AT RISK? WHY ANTOINE SEMENYO IS PEP GUARDIOLA’S NEW FAVORITE LEFT WINGER
Antoine Semenyo is pushing for a start! After a 10-1 debut win, will Pep Guardiola pick him over Jeremy Doku against Newcastle?
Honestly, I can’t see Pep Guardiola leaving Antoine Semenyo out of Manchester City’s lineup for Tuesday’s EFL Cup semi-final against Newcastle. Steven McInerney from Esteemed Kompany pretty much said the same thing to Sports Mole—Pep’s going to find it way too tempting after what Semenyo did last weekend.
Semenyo just arrived from Bournemouth for £64 million, and the guy barely had time to unpack before he tore up Exeter City in the FA Cup. He scored, set up another, and grabbed man of the match on his debut. Not a bad way to introduce yourself at the Etihad.
Now, after that 10-1 thrashing, Semenyo’s in the mix to keep his spot when City heads to St. James’ Park to take on the cup holders. McInerney thinks Semenyo will start on the left. And honestly, he figures Jeremy Doku should be a little worried about his place.
“I think Semenyo starts,” McInerney said. “People expect him on the right and Doku to come in, but I actually think Doku’s more at risk than anyone realises. To me, there’s a real possibility that in a couple of months, the starting wingers will be Semenyo and Cherki.”
He broke it down further: Doku’s a top creator; nobody doubts that. He’s electric with the ball, especially in the Premier League. But McInerney rates Cherki even higher as a pure creator—he’s got a different style, but he thinks Cherki has more genius and puts up more chances. Plus, Cherki scores more than Doku, even though he doesn’t always play out wide.
And then there’s Semenyo. As a goalscorer, he’s ahead of both. If you want one creator and one finisher, McInerney would go for Cherki and Semenyo. He says there’s a precision and simplicity to Semenyo’s game that could really appeal to Guardiola, especially on the left.
But he’s not ruling out Doku and Semenyo both starting on the wings, with Foden slotting in behind Haaland and Cherki dropping to the bench. It’s not obvious who Pep will pick. McInerney keeps coming back to the idea that Doku isn’t as safe as people think.
“He needs to be more direct,” McInerney said about Doku. “He’s brilliant, but sometimes he does a lot to achieve a little. It’s not a knock—his style is busy and effective. But he’s not a high-volume goals or assists guy. He creates a lot of half-chances and carries the ball brilliantly. But Semenyo does that too, and he scores far more. Honestly, I don’t think Doku’s spot is safe. I’d say Semenyo starts.”
That said, McInerney wouldn’t be shocked if both Semenyo and Doku get the nod against Newcastle, with Foden in the middle and Cherki sitting out. “I can see Cherki missing out, especially since it’s Newcastle,” he said. “Cherki’s been brilliant, but lately he’s looked a bit sloppy, and I reckon Guardiola might want to rest him, play Foden at 10, and start Semenyo on the right and Doku on the left.”
Looking ahead to the game itself, McInerney expects fireworks. “Neither side is going to keep it tight, let’s be honest. The city’s defence is shaky right now. Alleyne and Khusanov have done well, but this is Newcastle at St. James’ Park in a semi-final. There’s no way this ends 0-0. I’d take a goalless draw, but I just can’t see it. Honestly, it could turn into a classic—loads of goals, pure entertainment. I just hope City doesn’t lose. If they avoid defeat, that’s a decent result, especially with tired players and a patched-up backline.”
THE ANTOINE SEMENYO IMPACT: ANALYZING THE £62.5M SIGNING’S SEAMLESS FIT INTO CITY’S SYSTEM
Guardiola eyes a fourth straight FA Cup final after a 10-1 rout. Discover how new signing Semenyo and star Rodri fueled the win.
Pep Guardiola isn’t backing off—he’s going all in. After smashing Exeter 10-1, he’s already dreaming of another slice of history with Manchester City: a fourth straight FA Cup final.
Honestly, Saturday couldn’t have been a better chance for him to give his tired squad a break. The team has been limping along with injuries, dropping points in their last three league games. You’d expect Guardiola to fill the lineup with academy kids against a League One team, especially with the Carabao Cup semi, the Manchester derby, and the Champions League all looming in the next two weeks.
But no. Even though he started the week with only two senior centre-backs available, he somehow got three on the pitch for the last two games. Haaland kept his spot, and Rodri, Rayan Cherki, and new £62.5 million signing Antoine Semenyo all started this one. Bernardo Silva and Jeremy Doku? They didn’t even step on the field until City was already six up, an hour in.
For the 8,000 Exeter fans who made the trip to the Etihad, it was a night to remember—just not the way they hoped. The lineup alone killed off any real dreams of a cup upset (or a big payday) before the whistle blew. Max Alleyne, still riding the high from a dream week, bagged the opener at 12 minutes. Guardiola, stuck in the stands serving a one-game ban for too many yellow cards, barely needed to move. The city put on a clinic.
Ryan McAidoo, just 17 and fresh from Chelsea this year, was bright down the right wing. He set up the first and fourth goals smartly. Rodri smashed in City’s second—his first goal since May—and made a point of saluting the fans after what’s been a rough year and a half for him.
Semenyo, a little quiet early on, came alive in the second half—first with a slick assist for Rico Lewis, then a sharp finish of his own before Guardiola subbed him off. Sure, Exeter’s not the toughest test, but you could see already that he fits right in. If he’s pushing Doku for minutes, that’s exactly the kind of depth Guardiola craves.
A 10-1 win, and none of them scored by Haaland—that’s the sort of performance Guardiola lives for. It ties his biggest margin as City boss, matching the 9-0 rout of Burton back in 2019. That year, City went on to sweep every domestic trophy.
This squad doesn’t look as stacked as that team from seven years ago, not even close. Still, they look a lot better than they did just a week back. As they head to Newcastle for the semi-final, City will take that any day.
GOAL DROUGHT OVER: RODRI FINDS THE NET FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 20 MONTHS
Manchester City crush Exeter City 10-1 in the FA Cup. Rodri breaks his drought, and Rico Lewis shines in a historic Etihad rout.
Rodri finally broke his goal drought—the first one in 20 months—and Rico Lewis grabbed two as Pep Guardiola’s side tore through the League One visitors at the Etihad on Saturday.
It all started with Max Alleyne, who opened the floodgates with his first senior goal. Then came a pair of own goals, quickly followed by strikes from Tijjani Reijnders, Nico O’Reilly, and 17-year-old Ryan McAidoo. It was relentless.
Exeter did have one thing to cheer about: George Birch unleashed a brilliant late strike, a consolation, but at least something to take home.
The city needed this. After three straight draws in the Premier League and a Carabao Cup semi-final looming, they finally had a day where everything clicked. Honestly, it couldn’t have been much easier. It was their biggest win since hammering Huddersfield by the same score back in 1987. They also battered Burton 9-0 in 2019, but days like these don’t come often.
Guardiola wasn’t on the touchline—serving a one-match ban—but his intent was clear. He made six changes, sure, but the lineup was stacked. Semenyo went straight in for his debut after a huge move from Bournemouth, and both Rodri and Haaland started.
There was some youth sprinkled in—McAdoo making his debut, Alleyne keeping his spot from the midweek match—but this was a strong City side.
Exeter almost shocked everyone early. Liam Oakes rose above the City defence from a corner, but James Trafford tipped his header over. That was as close as they got.
From there, City took over. Alleyne poked home after a scramble in the box just 12 minutes in—he was at Watford on loan at the start of the month, and now he’s scoring at the Etihad. Rodri doubled the lead soon after, smashing in a 25-yarder after Semenyo’s shot was blocked. Big moment for Rodri, who’s been fighting back from injury for a while.
Before halftime, two own goals killed the game. The first was messy—nobody seemed sure if it bounced in off Fitzwater, Doyle-Hayes, or even City’s Nathan Ake. The second, same thing: Reijnders whipped in a cross, and it pinged in with Fitzwater and Doyle-Hayes both in the mix. Either way, Exeter was done.
The second half was a walk. Lewis volleyed in from a Semenyo cross for the fifth, then Semenyo got on the scoresheet himself, racing onto a long ball and sliding it past Joe Whitworth. Reijnders curled in a beauty for the seventh, O’Reilly headed in a Lewis cross for the eighth, and McAidoo smashed in from outside the box for number nine.
Birch did give Exeter fans something to cheer—he hammered one into the top corner late on. But City wasn’t finished. Lewis slammed home a bouncing ball in stoppage time to wrap up a wild afternoon.
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