Manchester City forward Antoine Semenyo has said Chelsea proved a tougher challenge than Arsenal, despite both sides falling to Pep Guardiola’s team in separate cup competitions this season.
City secured a narrow 1–0 victory over Chelsea in Saturday’s FA Cup clash at Wembley, a match decided in the 72nd minute when Semenyo finished a low cross from Erling Haaland.
While the win delivered another major moment in City’s campaign, the Ghana international was quick to stress the intensity of the contest, insisting Chelsea pushed them far harder than Arsenal did in their Carabao Cup final meeting earlier in the season, which City won 2–1 in March.
Speaking to the BBC, Semenyo pointed to the relentless pressure from the London club as a key factor in the difficulty of the match.
“Chelsea gave us a much tougher game than Arsenal did in the Carabao Cup final. Their intensity, the pressure, the way they kept fighting until the end… it was completely different,” he said.
“There were moments today where we genuinely struggled to control the game because Chelsea kept coming at us again and again. They made it difficult for us.”
Semenyo has enjoyed a strong season across all competitions, scoring 20 goals and providing six assists for Bournemouth and Manchester City combined. His performances have also earned him a nomination for the Premier League Player of the Year award.
City now shift focus back to the Premier League, with an away trip to AFC Bournemouth on Tuesday before concluding their campaign against Aston Villa on Sunday.
