Antoine Semenyo’s career trajectory is a remarkable tale of resilience. Rejected by Crystal Palace at 15, he quit football for a year before rebuilding at the Wiltshire Sports Academy and South Gloucestershire and Stroud College. A first professional contract at Bristol City at 17 led to loans at Bath City (National League South), Newport (League Two), and Sunderland (League One), before Championship football with Bristol City and a Premier League move to Bournemouth. His rise culminated in a £65m transfer to Manchester City in January.
On Saturday, Semenyo scored the only goal in the FA Cup final, a spinning back-heeled volley in the 72nd minute, to sink Chelsea. It was his 20th goal of the season (10 for Bournemouth, 10 for City). He became the first former Bath City player to score in an FA Cup final since Stan Mortensen in 1953. “It’s been surreal,” Semenyo said. “Everything’s just happened so quickly.”
Semenyo also played in the Carabao Cup final victory over Arsenal in March, his first silverware. His 16 Premier League goals are bettered only by Erling Haaland and Igor Thiago, putting him in the player of the year conversation. City now chase a domestic treble, trailing Arsenal by two points with two games left. Their next match is at Bournemouth on Tuesday, where Semenyo’s former teammates have been “giving me a lot of crap” about kicking him. Bournemouth are unbeaten in 15 league games since his departure, chasing Champions League qualification.
Semenyo credits his mentality shift to being surrounded by winners at City, especially Pep Guardiola, who “demanded a little bit more” at half-time against Chelsea. Guardiola’s future remains uncertain, but Semenyo is focused on the title race: “We just have to win our games and apply pressure the best way we can.”
