Antoine Semenyo brings new diversity to Man City's attack
Just one week after joining Manchester City from Bournemouth for a fee of 64 million pounds, Antoine Semenyo quickly showed the reason why he was chosen by Pep Guardiola.
In the first 2 matches, Semenyo continuously scored in two different positions. He started on the left wing and finished with his right foot against Exeter, before playing on the right wing and scoring with his left foot in the victory against Newcastle.
One goal came from an intrusion behind the defense, the other goal was a close-range cushion. Semenyo almost scored a brace against Newcastle if he had not been disallowed for a controversial offside goal.
Before joining Etihad, Semenyo scored 10 goals in 20 Premier League matches this season, only behind Igor Thiago and new teammate Erling Haaland. The 26-year-old player is also in the group with the highest number of shots and finishes on target in the league.
Of course, The Citizens expect Semenyo to share the scoring burden with Haaland - the striker who currently has the highest efficiency in the Premier League. But his value is not only in goals.
Guardiola especially appreciates Semenyo's ability to use both feet. In the Premier League, his number of goals with his right and left feet is almost balanced, helping Semenyo become one of the most effective two-footed goalscorers in Europe. This is a rare quality in Man City's attacking system that requires a lot of diversity.
Flexibility is also a big plus. Semenyo can play well on both wings - something he showed in the first matches. And Semenyo can even be used as a center forward thanks to his speed and ability to penetrate the penalty area.
However, Semenyo's most suitable role still lies on the two wings. At Bournemouth, he usually plays on the left wing, but has played more minutes on the right wing - a position that Man City is lacking in depth.
The Premier League debut in Man City's colors at Old Trafford is certainly not an easy challenge for the 26-year-old player. However, Semenyo has a particularly impressive record against Manchester United as he has scored in his last three appearances against this opponent.
If he continues to score, Semenyo will become the fourth player in Premier League history to score in 4 consecutive matches against Man United, after Mohamed Salah, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Sergio Aguero.
How should Man United approach the match?
This match also marks the first time Michael Carrick has faced Pep Guardiola as coach. Having experienced Guardiola's bitter defeats against Barcelona in the 2009 and 2011 UEFA Champions League finals, Carrick understands better than anyone the strength and pressure when facing a team led by Pep.
This season, Man United is still lacking stability, but attacking stats show clear positive signs. Only Man City and Arsenal score more goals than the "Red Devils" in the Premier League, and only The Citizens have a higher total expected goals (xG). Man United is currently leading the league in terms of number of shots as well as number of shots on target.
Carrick will be given significant resources with the return of Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo, while Benjamin Sesko is in high form with 3 goals in the last 2 matches.
In the opposite direction, Man City's defense has not yet brought absolute peace of mind. Young center-backs Abdukodir Khusanov and Max Alleyne still have very little experience in the Premier League - a position that Carrick can completely aim for to make a difference at Old Trafford.
Ruben Amorim's departure also opens up the possibility that Bruno Fernandes will be returned to his familiar number 10 role. During his time leading Middlesbrough, Carrick was almost absolutely loyal to the 4-2-3-1 formation, the most suitable system to promote Fernandes's creative qualities.
Despite being pushed back and having to adapt to his unfamiliar roles in recent times, the 31-year-old midfielder is still one of the leading creative players in Europe. He created 56 chances in the Premier League - the highest number among the 5 major leagues.
