Antoine Semenyo shifts focus to Tuesday Premier League title test against Bournemouth after FA Cup win

Antoine Semenyo played the hero at Wembley Stadium on Saturday afternoon, but the Manchester City forward was quick to temper the euphoria of an FA Cup triumph with the cold reality of a looming Premier League title race.

Moments after his 72nd-minute backheel secured a -0 victory over Chelsea, the Ghanaian international signaled that his focus had already drifted from the trophy in his hands to the high-stakes trip to Bournemouth this coming Tuesday.

The January signing, whose clinical instinct has become a vital asset for Pep Guardiola since his arrival from the South Coast, stood on the hallowed turf and insisted that the dressing room would remain a somber place despite the occasion.

He told reporters that while the victory represented a personal milestone and a collective achievement for the squad, the lack of a celebration window was a byproduct of the intense pressure currently being applied by Arsenal at the top of the table.

“I have never competed for trophies like this before, so everything is new to me. Hopefully, we can finish the job off.

“It is a good finish, I can’t lie. As a kid I have always wanted to be playing for the top teams – it took a long time to get there, but I am grateful.

“The first thing he (Pep Guardiola) said to me when I came was ‘don’t change your game’. He knows we control the game a lot, he still wants me to be me, still create a bit of chaos.

“I don’t think there will be much celebrations tonight it is getting ready for Tuesday.”

With the Gunners sitting two points clear of City with just two fixtures remaining, the margin for error has vanished.

If Arsenal manage to win their next fixture, any slip-up by City on Tuesday would effectively hand the Premier League title to London.

Semenyo’s comments underscored a professional maturity that has defined City’s era of dominance, prioritizing the recovery process over the usual post-final festivities.

The context of the fixture adds another layer of drama, as Semenyo prepares to return to the club that sold him only months ago.

His transition from a Bournemouth standout to a City match-winner has been seamless, but he remains wary of the threat his former teammates pose.

By winning the FA Cup, City have already secured a domestic cup double following their Carabao Cup success against Arsenal earlier this year.

However, Semenyo made it clear that the ultimate goal remains the treble, a feat that requires total concentration for the mid-week battle ahead.