Antoine Semenyo says City’s players are settling well under new head coach Enzo Maresca, comparing his early impact to that of Pep Guardiola.
Semenyo joined City from Bournemouth in January for a reported £64m, beating interest from Manchester United, Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal. He said at the time he had watched City’s dominance under Guardiola for a decade and wanted to be part of it.
Guardiola left at the end of last season after a decade in charge, with Maresca arriving from Chelsea. Semenyo said training under the Italian felt familiar. “Very good, very detailed,” he said, adding it was “quite similar to Pep” in its precision.
City are on a pre-season tour of Asia, with matches against Inter Milan, a K League All Stars side and Atletico Madrid before the Community Shield and the new Premier League campaign.
Semenyo went on to reflect on winning his first major trophy at City, the Carabao Cup, after a 2-0 win over Arsenal at Wembley in March. He made just three appearances in the competition having joined mid-season, but was an ever-present in City’s second-half form, finishing his debut campaign with six goals and one assist in the league.
He becomes only the second Ghanaian to win the League Cup, after Michael Essien’s two triumphs with Chelsea in the 2000s.
With Maresca’s first full season now under way, Semenyo’s comments offer an early read on how the squad is adjusting to life after Guardiola.
