It’s a fair assumption to suggest that, had our new signing from Bournemouth had been offered the best statistical debut since Sergio Aguero’s against Swansea in 2011, he’d have probably taken in it.
Our Argentine legend announced his arrival in sky blue by scoring twice and assisting another in that 4-0 win over the Swans, and Semenyo became the first City player to score and assist on his debut since Sergio’s stunning start more than 14 years ago.
It could be argued that Semenyo was up against a team fighting for their lives in League One side Exeter City and there will be tougher challenges ahead.
But the overall display of our new powerhouse winger will have justifiably excited City fans.
Direct, always looking to beat his man when the opportunity was there, courageous and confident, Semenyo has quickly underlined why City were so determined to sign him.
He will add another dimension to an attack already packed with world class talent, invention and creativity, with our potential forward combinations mouth-watering to say the least.
On BBC’s Match of the Day, pundit Dion Dublin claimed Semenyo “looks like he’s been a City player for years” – and again it is obviously very early days, but it is hard to argue otherwise.
So, how did his 64 minutes of action break down?
The headline stats were the goal and assist – both coming in an electric five-minute spell just after the start of the second half.
His burst down the left and low cross into the six-yard box made it an easy finish for Rico Lewis on 49 minutes.
Five minutes later, a goal that should make defences up and down the land sit up and notice as Rayan Cherki’s threaded pass found the run of our new No.42 who then turned on the afterburners before clinically slotting home our sixth goal of the afternoon.
Semenyo’s debut ended on 64 minutes when he was replaced – to a standing ovation as he left – by Jeremy Doku.
Overall, he created four big chances and made 41 passes, with an excellent accuracy of 92.7%.
Assistant Coach Pep Lijnders said: “Antoine is settling well. He’s a humble guy, we followed him for a long time and he brings something to the front line that we want and need.
“He can attack quickly, he wants to chase, he doesn’t stop. You saw today, he can adapt quickly to our style so it’s nice to have him with us.”
All in all, a terrific start to life as a Manchester City player.
