Pep Guardiola exclusive: Manchester City boss reveals how Marc Guehi, Antoine Semenyo proved title credentials in ‘five minutes’
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Published 24/04/2026 at 22:06 GMT+1
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Pep Guardiola has hailed the duo of Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi ahead of Manchester City’s next assignment in pursuit of a domestic treble.
‘We saw it in five minutes’ – Guardiola on how Guehi made immediate impact
Video credit: TNT Sports
City beat Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final last month and start the weekend top of the Premier League on goals scored with just five games to play.
Next up is an Emirates FA Cup semi-final against Championship side Southampton live on TNT Sports and HBO Max, armed with Guehi, who joined from Crystal Palace, during the winter window, and Semenyo, who was signed from Bournemouth.
Speaking exclusively to TNT Sports, the City boss has spoken about the impact his two January acquisitions have had already on the club’s continued march to glory.
”We saw it in, I don't know, in five minutes, in training sessions, the first game. What two signings Man City have done!” Guardiola said.
”They are young and they will be here for many years. They have the right support and I'm happy they are fighting already for titles.
”Of course, Crystal Palace made the last FA Cup final against us, they won it, but they are not used to fighting for the title.
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”Same with Antoine, it's really nice to live this experience for the first time, really pleased.”
Guehi captained Palace to that famous win over City in last year’s final and wore the armband for England for the first time in The Three Lions’ recent friendly against Japan.
With City saying goodbye to current captain Bernardo Silva in the summer, Guardiola didn’t rule out Guehi assuming the role at the Etihad at some point in the future, hailing the 25-year-old’s professionalism and leadership qualities.
”Why not?” Guardiola said. ”The manager will decide or the team-mates will decide but of course, he has experience to do that, he leads by example that's for sure, he is one of the most professional players I've ever met in my career.
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”Since he arrived, how he takes care of his body. Football, football, 24 hours and that is the way you have to live this profession.
”With the amount of games you take care of yourself properly or you cannot survive.”
On Semenyo, who has eight goals in all competitions for his new club on top of the ten he scored for the Cherries before his move, Guardiola expressed his joy at how quickly the winger has settled into his new surroundings.
”Top! First day in the locker room, in that spirit, really good,” Guardiola said.
”He can play on both sides offensively, in the centre, scored a lot of goals in the FA Cup, in the Carabao Cup, in the Premier League, so really good.”
Antoine Semenyo stats 2025/26
| Club | Apps | Goals | Assists | Goals+Assists |
| Bournemouth | ||||
| Premier League | 20 | 10 | 3 | 13 |
| League Cup | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Manchester City | ||||
| Premier League | 12 | 5 | 1 | 6 |
| FA Cup | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| League Cup | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Champions League | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 42 | 18 | 6 | 24 |
Guardiola will lead City out at Wembley for the 25th time when they face the Saints, with a record of 13 wins, seven losses and four draws - from those four draws he has three penalty shoot-out wins and one defeat.
Beyond his seven trophy wins with City, he also boasts UEFA Champions League victories both as player and manager with Barcelona at the stadium.
His first appearance there, helping Johan Cruyff’s ‘Dream Team’ win Europe’s premier competition for the first time, lives long in his memory, but Guardiola also admits to watching the FA Cup at Wembley before setting foot on the hallowed turf.
”Some finals I remember,” he said. ”In Spain, when I was young, it was not like satellite [TV] now, a thousand platforms, so you can watch everything in the moment.
”But the memories of how special they are [remain], especially, I would say, 30 or 40 years ago.”
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Guardiola shares ‘special’ Wembley memories ahead of FA Cup semi-final
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In the 1992 final against Sampdoria, Guardiola, then 21, was deployed in midfield in what was a closely contested encounter, settled in extra time by Ronald Koeman’s free kick under the old twin towers.
For Guardiola, this began a special relationship with the famous ground before it’s redevelopment at the turn of the century.
”The day before, how nice it was training there before the final against Sampdoria,” he recalled. ”And it was an incredible sunny day, the atmosphere, the pressure.
”Barcelona had never won the Champions League and after I remember the walk to the stairs to lift the trophy.
”The old Wembley was fascinating, you know, it was so beautiful.”
City go into their showdown with the Saints as favourites but Guardiola insists his side will take nothing for granted against the Championship high-flyers.
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In his first senior coaching role, 33-year-old Tonda Eckert has powered the club up the table and at the very least, in play-off contention for a return to the Premier League.
This is underpinned by a remarkable 20-match unbeaten run in all competitions, that has included victories in the FA Cup over Premier League sides Fulham, and even more impressively, Arsenal in the previous round.
”The impact on the team speaks for itself,” said Guardiola of Eckert. ”He comes from Leipzig culture [Eckhart previously coached RB Leipzig’s under 19 side], so aggressive, intense, it’s really, really, really good.
”They’re arriving in a position where they are fighting to be promoted to the Premier League. Hopefully they can be focused on that tomorrow. But twenty games unbeaten, Fulham and Arsenal, they beat them.”
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Guardiola wary of threat against ‘aggressive and intense’ Southampton
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Despite their opponents currently competing in a lower division, Guardiola is more than aware of the threat any team that reaches a semi-final can pose on the day, despite City’s record and stature.
”Listen, to arrive at eight semi-finals in a row, three finals now, potentially four in case we win, winning five Carabao Cups, is because we take seriously every single opponent in the cup competitions,” he warned.
”You don’t always play against top teams in the Premier League, you play League One teams, League Two, Championship in this period, and we were always there [mentally].”
Guardiola is gunning for a third FA Cup, having already led City to Carabao Cup success at Wembley earlier this season, lifting the trophy for the fifth time since arriving at the club.
In addition to his two Copa del Rey wins with Barcelona and two DFB Pokal triumphs at Bayern Munich, Guardiola has 11 domestic cup wins to his name and stresses the importance of going for every available trophy, even when the Premier League title is also in their sights.
”It's important every single game,” Guardiola said. "[When] we started here, remember, they said every game matters. For every game, you have to perform, and win it, so why should you have to prioritise one game as more important?
”Everybody knows that the Premier League and Champions League are more important, but as much as you play the competition, you have to do your job.”
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