“I was the problem!” – Antoine Semenyo looks ahead to ‘being kicked’ during Bournemouth reunion | OneFootball

Antoine Semenyo has taken a light-hearted approach to his reunion with Bournemouth this week, jokingly suggesting that he was “the problem” at his now-former club amid their surge in exceptional end-of-season form.

The 26-year-old forward is currently riding the highest wave of his career to date after writing his name into Manchester City history on Saturday afternoon by expertly steering home an Erling Haaland cross to secure a 1-0 FA Cup Final victory over Chelsea.

Victory at Wembley Stadium handed Manchester City and Pep Guardiola their 20th trophy of the Catalan’s tenure at the club, whilst simultaneously wrapping up a domestic cup double this season.

However, the relentless nature of the 2025/26 campaign leaves little time for celebration with City immediately pivoting back to Premier League action for a midweek trip to the South Coast.

Semenyo will be returning to face an incredibly in-form Bournemouth side that has completely transformed under Andoni Iraola since the turn of the year, hurtling towards qualification for one of UEFA’s European competitions next season.

Semenyo: “They’ve been giving me a lot of cr*p!”

Speaking to reporters off the back of his FA Cup Final success against Chelsea on Saturday afternoon, Antoine Semenyo has looked ahead to returning to the Vitality Stadium for the first time since leaving the club in January.

“I was the problem,” Semenyo joked, with Bournemouth currently unbeaten in the Premier League since the Ghanaian’s exit from the South Coast side during the January transfer window.

“I am happy they are doing so well and hopefully they get into Europe too,” he continued. “It’s going to be tough. They’ve got something to fight for so they’re going to make it tough for us. It won’t be weird going back.”

Semenyo added, “It’ll be good to see everyone again. I still speak to them every day, to be honest, they’ve been giving me a lot of cr*p, just like they’re going to kick me and this and that but it’ll be good to see them all.

“And obviously, it’s going to be a tough game. So I’m looking forward to the challenge and hopefully we win.”

A significant moment in the 2025/26 season

While the banter between Antoine Semenyo and his former teammates remains light-hearted off the pitch, the stakes could not be higher when referee Anthony Taylor gets the action going on Tuesday night.

Manchester City continue to find themselves in a cutthroat, final-week sprint against Arsenal for the Premier League crown, meaning anything less than three points on the South Coast could prove fatal to their title defence depending on the Gunners’ result against Burnley.

Bournemouth’s staggering post-January form has put them firmly in the hunt for a historic European qualification spot, and Iraola’s men will have no intention of rolling out the red carpet for their former talisman this week.