Antoine Semenyo praised Rayan Cherki as “one of the best in the world” in the aftermath of Manchester City’s FA Cup victory over Liverpool.
Both Semenyo and Cherki played pivotal roles as hat-trick hero Erling Haaland led City to a convincing 4-0 win at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
The two combined for one of Haaland’s strikes, and Cherki assisted Semenyo’s goal in a dominant performance that secured City’s place in the FA Cup semi-finals for an unprecedented eighth consecutive season.
“He’s truly one of the world’s elite players,” said Semenyo. “He can do anything with the ball, which makes my job so much easier.
“I know he’ll either drop back to find me behind the defense or pass to my feet, so it just simplifies things.”
Cherki’s clever pass that set up Semenyo’s assist for Haaland’s second goal left Liverpool’s defense perplexed, highlighting his creative flair.
However, similar to his performance in the Carabao Cup final against Arsenal, Cherki couldn’t resist a few flicks and tricks after the game was in hand—a style that has occasionally annoyed Pep Guardiola.
This time, Guardiola’s stance was unclear as he was serving a touchline suspension and left media responsibilities to assistant Pep Lijnders.
From the sidelines, however, Cherki faced some reprimand after he swapped shirts with Hugo Ekitike late in the match. Cherki donned the shirt before the final whistle but was quickly instructed to remove it.
Incidents like this contribute to Cherki’s maverick reputation, but Semenyo emphasizes his creativity and skill as the standout traits.
“I still remember my first training session,” Semenyo reflected. “The skills he exhibited had me thinking, ‘What kind of player is he?’
“He’s an exceptional talent—so creative with the ball, and we really appreciate it.”
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City’s triumph marked an impressive return following the international break and underscored their resolve to finish the season strongly, with a domestic treble within reach.
Semenyo added: “There’s so much ambition and so many goals we aspire to achieve this season. More is yet to come; we just need to keep pushing forward.
“This is the crucial phase of the season, so we aim to win as many games as possible.
“Every match feels like a final now; we just have to keep striving and see where it takes us.”