Antoine Semenyo was full of praise for his teammate who can “can literally do anything with the ball”
Manchester City booked their place in the FA Cup semi-finals with a thumping 4-0 win over Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium, with Erling Haaland scoring a hat-trick in a one-sided quarter-final.
But while Haaland took the headlines, his teammate Antoine Semenyo was full of praise for Rayan Cherki and his technical quality after an incredible individual performance.
Cherki joined City from Lyon and while he has yet to cement a starting role like the likes of Haaland, Bernardo Silva or even Semenyo himself, he has repeatedly shown the player he could become.
On Saturday he played a central role in City’s attacking display in the Liverpool thrashing. His creativity was evident throughout, including a disguised pass that led to Semenyo setting up Haaland for his second goal.
“He’s one of the world’s best,” Semenyo said. “He can literally do anything with the ball, so he makes my life easy. I know that he’s going to drop and he’s going to try and find me in behind or play to my feet, so it just makes it easier.”
Semenyo also spoke about his first impressions of Cherki in training after joining City himself in January.
“I remember my first day in training,” said the Ghanaian. “Just some of the skills he was pulling up, I thought, ‘What kind of player is he?’ He’s a top player. Creative with the ball and we love it.”
Despite his brilliance, Cherki’s flair has occasionally bordered on the unconventional. Late in the game, he entertained the home crowd with flicks and tricks, and briefly caused a stir by swapping shirts with Hugo Ekitike before the final whistle and then putting it on. He was quickly instructed by staff on the City bench to remove it.
