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.
MANCHESTER CITY REACH FINAL STAGES FOR TROYES SENSATION MATHYS DETOURBET THIS SUMMER
Mathys Detourbet to join Man City! See how the club beat PSG to sign the Troyes winger while eyeing a Newcastle target.
Manchester City are closing in on a deal for Mathys Tel, Troyes’ highly rated young winger. Sources tell StadiumNest that talks are heading toward the finish line, and both clubs stand to benefit, especially Troyes, who want to secure promotion this season.
Back in January, we reported that City had been looking at rising talent in their network of sister clubs. Detourbet and his teammate Christ Batola, both at Troyes, caught their eye right away.
Paris Saint-Germain have shown interest in the pair too, but City Football Group are determined to keep both players within their system.
As things stand, Detourbet is set to sign for Manchester City this summer. The plan is for him to return to Troyes on loan for next season, giving him more time to play and develop.
Troyes, sitting at the top of the Ligue 2 table and aiming to get back to Ligue 1 for the first time since 2022/23, sees this arrangement as a win. Keeping Detourbet, who has four goals and seven assists from 35 matches, gives them a better shot at promotion, even as they sell him to City.
As for the second star, 16-year-old striker Batola, he’s expected to sign a new long-term deal with Troyes, which keeps him within the City Group setup for now. The city sees him as a future option; Batola has scored nine and assisted twice in just 21 appearances this season. Locking him down keeps his talent in their circle and gives them flexibility down the road.
City is moving quickly, especially with PSG sniffing around. They look set to land Detourbet and keep Batola as a prospect, showing off the strength of their global multi-club model.
Meanwhile, in terms of immediate signings, City remain focused on landing a Newcastle United player labelled as a “dream target", though they’re also exploring other options heading into the summer transfer window.
ERLING HAALAND CALM DESPITE FOUR-MATCH DROUGHT: "THERE'S NOTHING TO LOSE, NO PRESSURE"
Erling Haaland and Man City take on Arsenal at the Etihad. Get the latest team news and title race odds for tonight.
Man City sits second in the league, trailing the leaders by six points with six games left to play. Pep Guardiola’s squad, however, holds a game in hand over Arsenal.
If City manage to beat Arsenal today and then secure a win against Burnley, they could draw level on points with the North London club, maybe even surpass them depending on the goal difference.
So far, Haaland has netted 22 goals in 31 Premier League matches, but the Norwegian doesn’t see any extra pressure on City heading into this game. He’s gone without scoring in his last four outings.
“Right now, I’m quite calm,” Haaland told Sky Sports.
“It’s one game per week, which is pretty unusual for us. It hardly ever happens. Honestly, I don’t feel much nervousness because we’ve been chasing all season. There’s nothing to lose, so no real pressure.
“You’d have to ask Arsenal if they feel pressure. I can only speak for myself. I don’t feel much pressure because we’re still a fair way behind.”
Last season, Haaland had a memorable clash with Gabriel during a 2-2 draw at the Etihad. Gabriel shouted in Haaland’s face, and Haaland responded by tossing a ball at the Arsenal defender and telling their manager Arteta to “stay humble” after a heated exchange that also involved several other Gunners players, including ex-City forward Gabriel Jesus.
“It’s always a battle,” Haaland said about facing Arsenal.
“They usually have a lot of players around me, which actually works in my favour. It means something. It’s tough playing with many players crowding you, but it’s a good fight. As I said, it’s always good to test yourself against the best because that’s what you want.”
Arsenal, arriving today, has been inconsistent lately. They’ve only won once in their last five matches and narrowly scraped a 0-0 draw against Sporting Lisbon in their recent Champions League semi-final clash.
