Antoine Semenyo: Manchester City’s double-edged sword forcing tactical rethink | OneFootball

You don’t often see the traditional two strikers deployed in modern football. However, since he signed Antoine Semenyo in January, that seems to be Pep Guardiola’s preferred system. The question is, does this hinder Erling Haaland?

It is undeniable that Manchester City have two aces in their attacking deck, possessing both Semenyo and Haaland – two of the Premier League’s most prolific scorers – with a combined 37 league goals between the pair this term.

A positive for the Blues, no doubt, but Semenyo’s arrival has coincided with a considerable drop in performance from Haaland, which begs the question: can the duo perform as a unit?

Guardiola has reinvented his team’s tactical approach on countless occasions during his time at the Etihad Stadium, revolutionising the way football is viewed each and every time he has introduced a new approach.

For example, adapting to Sergio Agüero‘s departure by utilising a fluid system without a recognised striker and using Phil Foden, Ilkay Gündogan or Kevin De Bruyne as deeper-lying, roaming false nines to make his front line less conventional and far more challenging to counteract.

Or perhaps the decision to move to a back three in possession – allowing John Stones to invert into the engine room alongside Rodri to create a double pivot and an overload in midfield – was eventually one of the defining factors as Manchester City secured a historic treble and their first UEFA Champions League in 2023.

Now, in March 2026, we are witnessing the latest instalment of many intriguing Guardiola experiments – electing to deploy winter recruit Semenyo in a striker pairing with Haaland in hope of taking a fraction of the load from the Norwegian’s shoulders and making efficient use of Semenyo’s goalscoring prowess.

This systematic transition, though, may not be as smooth as those of a City persuasion may have initially hoped. His inspirational journey through every stage of the English football pyramid has seen him play for Bath City, Newport County, Bristol City, Sunderland, and Bournemouth – before joining Manchester City a few months ago.

Semenyo has primarily been utilised as a direct left winger, but, as is so often the case, Guardiola views players in a unique way and thought the 26-year-old would be most effective centrally. There is a hypothesis, though, that this positional shift may be doing more harm than good.

Of course, Semenyo is a supremely talented player, as evidenced in his early months at Manchester City, where he has adapted swiftly and provided nine goal contributions in 15 appearances for the Blues, which most recently earned him Premier League Player of the Month for February – a very welcome sight.

Despite this, whether there is a direct correlation or not, Haaland seems to be experiencing a significant drop in output since the arrival of the former Bristol City man.

In the early stages of the campaign, it was business as usual for City’s Norwegian talisman, as between August and December 2025, he netted 25 times in all competitions. Since the turn of the year, though, it has been a different story, with the Premier League’s leading goalscorer hitting a significant drought, scoring just four goals in 2026.

In recent weeks, Haaland has struggled to influence games not only through goals but also through a sheer lack of clear-cut chances, coupled with the fact that he is often being marked out of games by the opposition, meaning his usual penetrative runs and instinctive movement in the final third that we are so accustomed to seeing seem to occur less frequently.

But why is this happening? It is certainly a possibility that the Norwegian is adjusting to operating alongside a compatriot, as tactically it makes the movements of both forwards more rigid and congested.

When playing as a lone striker, the priority for the remainder of the team in the final third was to generate clear-cut chances for him to take advantage of because he was always the focal point of the side.

Furthermore, playing a single striker meant his movements were much less predictable, as he had the creative licence to operate in whichever channel he felt he could make the most impact – and this positional freedom was possibly a contributing factor to why his runs in behind were so effective.

In contrast, playing in a front two is a completely different dynamic – and although it does provide more firepower up front, it does reduce flexibility. In a typical setup now, Semenyo would occupy the left-hand channel whilst Haaland would operate from the right.

This, therefore, means that Haaland, who was previously the sole focal point, is not only receiving less service but is also restricted in regard to movement, making him more predictable and thus easier for opposition defences to neutralise.

As well as this, having number 10s often operating behind the frontline often crowds out the final third, making it difficult to stretch the pitch and get in behind the opposition’s defence. This, in turn, is heavily impacting the team’s creativity, which, in truth, has looked largely non-existent of late.

A pertinent example of this is the recent damning defeat to Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu, where City’s talisman only managed 10 touches of the ball in 82 minutes and was not presented with a single clear-cut chance.

Haaland often has few touches and still finds a way to be the difference maker, but not this time, as it was a poor night for City’s number nine and a rather abysmal night for everyone in blue.

There is no definitive reason for the dilemma of Haaland’s considerable dip in form, and there could be multiple contributing factors – such as service, confidence or fitness – but the Norwegian’s recent output is becoming increasingly concerning.

It is common knowledge that his performances of late have been subpar at best and that the recent dejecting outings against Real Madrid and West Ham were frustrating, to say the least, but many have to accept that this team is collectively not the finished article.

For now, the partnership between Haaland and Semenyo, much like the rest of the rebuilt City side, remains a work in progress, but once the pair find rhythm, they could be a formidable force for the future.

Despite the fact that performance levels by Haaland have worsened, this is by no means a piece designed to shift the blame solely to Semenyo for his displays in his new position, as the Ghanaian made an excellent start to Mancunian life – and it is likely an unfortunate correlation rather than a direct consequence.

It was to outline the fact that Haaland has simply not been at the races, which is having a detrimental impact on the rest of the side as a whole. It is evident that City are a team in transition – and whilst that does not excuse poor displays entirely, it does mean there will be flaws in this new-age side, with many players having been signed in the last 18 months.

Building cohesion with teammates in a completely new environment will be a challenging task. It is a long process that will bring highs and lows, but it is a certainty that these players all have exceptional quality, and with time the relationship between the squad will become second nature. It may not be perfect now, but when it clicks, it’ll click.