The biggest Manchester City news of the day did not come out of their score draw with Brighton. No, it was a different fixture, AFC Bournemouth’s 3-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur that produced the main storyline, in the form of Antoine Semenyo.
On his 26th birthday, and what will now be his final game in a Cherries shirt, Semenyo scored the match winner in extra time.
FA Cup 3rd Round FYIs
Manchester City vs Exeter City
Kickoff: Sat. Jan 10, 3pm
Venue: Etihad Stadium, Manchester, UK
Manchester City Team News
The Ghana international provided a clutch moment, and conveyed exactly why City spent £65m to get him this January transfer window.
It was a storybook ending to his time on the south coast, with manager Andoni Iraola confirming in his post match press conference that Semenyo will now complete the “formalities” of his transfer to City.
The winter window is now open everybody!
As for the injury situation, we got a timeline yesterday regarding Ruben Dias and his hamstring injury, with manager Pep Guardiola saying:
“(Ruben has an injured) hamstring (and will be missing) between four and six weeks.”
So it’s a mid-to-late February return for him.
Pep also provided an update on John Stones, who is still working his way back to match fitness
“(not) ready for the next games. Of course, he’s an important player for us for a long time, and he was injured for a long time last season; this season looks the same. He’s trying a lot and trying everything, but he’s not fit.”
So by that rhetoric, it will still be a couple weeks, most likely.
Also set to miss out on the FA Cup 3rd round tie against Exeter City are: Josko Gvardiol, Savinho, Mateo Kovacic, Oscar Bobb, Omar Marmoush and Rayan Ait-Nouri.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, RG.org and Ratings.org. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.