Semenyo backs Maresca as Man City enter post-Guardiola era

Manchester City winger Antoine Semenyo has said that football tactics under Enzo Maresca will be quite similar to those under Pep Guardiola as the Premier League club prepares to start the upcoming season with a new manager.

Guardiola left City in May after a 10-year reign at the Etihad Stadium, in which he led the side to six Premier League titles with Maresca returning to the club having worked for a season as the assistant to the Spaniard.

"I think the transition now with Maresca, he's obviously been with the City Group before, so he's not unfamiliar with them," said Semenyo, speaking at Ahmad Tea's Preparation is Everything event in Hong Kong.

"Everyone just has to adjust. Everyone has to buy into what his philosophy is, and it's not far off what Pep was doing last season for us. I'm looking forward to the seasons to come with him, and everyone's enjoying it so far."

Maresca has taken over six months after leaving Chelsea, who he guided to the Club World Cup title in 2025, having previously led Leicester City to a Premier League promotion in his one year with the club.

He takes over a Manchester City side who finished second in the English top flight last year and won the FA Cup and League Cup, with the Ghana international entering his first full season with the club after joining in January from Bournemouth.

Guardiola's exit means Antoine Semenyo will be working under his third different manager in the past year, having started last campaign under Andoni Iraola, who has since left Bournemouth to take over at Liverpool.

"I have no choice but to adapt to the managers," said Semenyo. "Obviously, Iraola was high pressing, everything was about work ethic.

"Coming to Pep, it was a lot more ball dominant and, to be fair with Maresca, it's quite similar. So I don't think there's too much change in that sense.

"We've got a team; everyone's adjusting as well as myself, and everyone's gonna buy into it, and hopefully we can be successful off the back of that."

Semenyo moved to City after an impressive first half of the 2025-26 campaign with Bournemouth, in which he scored 10 goals in 21 appearances and helped Ghana qualify for the World Cup.

He maintained that form after his switch, netting another 11 times in 27 matches in all competitions.

"I would say it was amazing with him," Semenyo said of his spell working under Guardiola. "He's obviously known as one of the best managers in the world, and you can see why.

"Every day his meetings, his attention to detail, just like his player management, everything was amazing, and he helped me so much in those five, six months with my game."