Antoine Semenyo gives peak through the curtain into Manchester City training under Enzo Maresca | OneFootball

Antoine Semenyo has drawn a comparison between Enzo Maresca’s coaching methods and those of Pep Guardiola as Manchester City embark on their pre-season campaign in east Asia.

The 26-year-old forward joined Manchester City from AFC Bournemouth in January 2026, having scored 15 Premier League goals for the Cherries in the first half of the season to establish himself as one of the most feared wingers in English football – and wasted little time in making his mark at the Etihad Stadium, contributing seven goals in 13 appearances across all competitions as City claimed the EFL Cup and FA Cup before the campaign concluded.

Semenyo then represented Ghana at the FIFA World Cup in North America, with the Black Stars progressing to the Round of 32 before their elimination from the tournament – a run that added to what had been an extraordinary 12-month stretch for a player who has risen rapidly to become one of the most compelling wide forwards in the Premier League.

His arrival in east Asia for Maresca’s first pre-season tour as manager marks the beginning of what both the club and player will hope is the definitive chapter of a career that has already exceeded the expectations of those who passed over him during his early academy trials, and Semenyo spoke with evident enthusiasm about the environment he has found himself in on tour.

The Guardiola comparison will be among the most widely noted elements of an interview that spoke to the early impressions Maresca has made on a squad still in the process of learning what the new era at the Etihad Stadium will look like and feel like in practice.

Semenyo: The manager has got an eye for detail – quite similar to Pep!

Speaking to official Manchester City media on arrival in east Asia, Semenyo addressed his physical condition coming into pre-season after one of the most demanding years of his professional career.

“My body feels good. I like to think I’m well rested,” said Semenyo. “The manager gave me a couple of weeks to relax and reset so I’m happy to be back with the boys and looking forward to the new season.”

On the reception that greeted the squad upon landing in Asia – an image that captured the scale of Manchester City’s global following beyond the confines of the Premier League – the forward was visibly moved.

“The club are global and have a lot of fans,” said Semenyo. “Getting to the hotel from the airport and seeing so many people welcoming us shows the great support we have out here and we look forward to playing in front of them.”

The standout moment of the interview, however, came when Semenyo was asked to reflect on Maresca’s training sessions – and offered an assessment that will resonate with supporters still adjusting to life after Guardiola’s decade of dominance.

“Very good, very detailed. He’s got an eye for detail and he wants everything to be right, which is quite similar to Pep,” said Semenyo. “That’s good for us as players so we’ve enjoyed it so far.”

What does Semenyo’s verdict tell us about Maresca’s Man City approach?

The comparison Semenyo draws is not one Maresca himself would make lightly – the new manager has been at pains to stress his intention to install his own identity rather than replicate what came before him – but from a player’s perspective, the observation speaks to something important about the culture Maresca is building from day one.

The emphasis on detail, on getting everything right, on the precision of session planning – these are hallmarks that City’s players have associated with their most successful periods, and hearing those traits identified in the new manager’s early pre-season work will be encouraging for a squad still finding its bearings under changed leadership at the Etihad Stadium.

Semenyo himself is among the more important players Maresca needs to unlock fully in his first season, with the winger’s combination of pace, physicality and directness making him a potentially devastating weapon in the kind of high-tempo, vertically oriented system the new manager is understood to favour.