• Antoine Semenyo has been handed low ratings by several UK outlets after failing to score from six attempts in Manchester City’s UCL defeat to PSG
• A popular X account criticised the Ghanaian forward with an awkward nickname and his match stats, with the post drawing close to four million views
• While critics have pointed to his wasteful finishing, his underlying numbers show he created chances and contributed in other areas despite the heavy home defeat

Ghana and Manchester City forward Antoine Semenyo has come under criticism following his performance in the club’s Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).

City lost 4-2 to PSG at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, in their second league phase game.

Désiré Doué, Ousmane Dembélé and Vitinha put the French champions 3-0 up inside the first 35 minutes. Erling Haaland scored twice to spark a second-half fightback, but Maghnes Akliouche’s strike sealed the win for the visitors.

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The defeat was City’s first of the 2026/27 season after eight straight wins under Enzo Maresca. Semenyo missed a clear chance shortly after Haaland’s first goal that could have made the score 3-2.

UK media criticise Semenyo’s display against PSG

Football website GOAL rated Semenyo 5/10, noting that he “struggled to influence the game effectively” while playing in a deeper role than usual.

Dave.Sport gave him 5.5, pointing out that he “finished without a goal despite six attempts.” City Xtra was equally unimpressed, describing his showing as “not the best performance from Semenyo, who was wasteful in so many areas.”

Sports Illustrated also called it “a chaotic and clumsy performance” that “lacked the necessary end product in City’s time of need.”

Reacting after the game, Semenyo admitted he was frustrated with his finishing.

“I think I’m beating myself up a little bit at the moment from all the chances that I missed,” he told CBS.

Semenyo gets awkward nickname from X account

Popular X account Hater Central also criticised the Ghanaian with a crude pun on his surname after the match.

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The post listed his stats from the game, including zero goals or assists, 15 possessions lost, three fouls and one big chance missed.

It also compared him to British YouTuber KSI, who is known for his limited football skills, describing Semenyo as “KSI with flair.”

As of Friday, October 16, the post had close to 4 million views, with more than 125,000 likes and 10,000 reposts.

Its reach showed how quickly the performance became a talking point among football fans online.

The X post by Hater Central, in which it criticises Semenyo over his display against PSG, is below.

Is the criticism of Semenyo justified?

Despite the harsh verdicts, the numbers suggest Semenyo’s display was not all bad. According to FotMob data cited by GhanaWeb, he registered six shots, three key passes, one big chance created and 13 progressive carries.

FotMob rated him 7.2, a far kinder score than those handed out by the media. City’s problems also went beyond Semenyo, as the team failed to turn 27 shots worth 2.5 expected goals (xG) into more than two goals.

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Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was rated 4 by Dave.Sport after the defence conceded three times in the first half.

However, as a forward, Semenyo will be judged on his end product, and his miss at 2-1 proved costly.