Manchester City took a commanding step in the League Cup semifinal first leg with a 2–0 win over Newcastle, a result that unfolded with the steady rhythm fans often associate with Bangla Cricket Live style momentum shifts in big matches. Winter signing Semenyo continued his remarkable start in sky blue by finding the net once again, making it two goals in two appearances and underlining why he has been viewed as an immediate-impact player.
Before arriving in Manchester, Semenyo enjoyed a memorable farewell at Bournemouth, scoring a stunning long-range winner in stoppage time to seal a 3–2 victory over Tottenham. That dramatic moment proved to be his final act before completing a January 9 move to City for a reported €72 million, making him the most expensive winter signing so far. His transition has been seamless, suggesting he needed little time to adjust to his new surroundings.
Just one day later, Semenyo made his debut in the FA Cup against Exeter City, starting the match and delivering both a goal and an assist. That performance placed him alongside Sergio Aguero as one of the few City forwards to register a goal involvement double on debut. Confidence clearly followed, and by January 14 he was again in the starting lineup for the League Cup semifinal, playing the full match and scoring in consecutive games while earning widespread praise from teammates.
The contrast within the squad has been striking. While Semenyo’s fortunes continue to rise, Erling Haaland has endured an uncharacteristically quiet spell. The Norwegian striker has gone two matches without scoring and has only one goal across his last six appearances. Even in City’s extraordinary 10–1 win over Exeter, where nine different goals were recorded including two own goals, Haaland failed to score despite starting and playing the entire first half, a rare sight for a classic number nine.
The semifinal also produced a bizarre moment. In the 67th minute, Semenyo headed home from a Phil Foden corner, only for the goal to be disallowed because Haaland was judged to be in an offside position interfering with the goalkeeper. The decision sparked debate after the match, with many feeling it was harsh, though it became an ironic twist where Haaland inadvertently blocked a teammate’s success.
Just days earlier, City had released behind-the-scenes footage welcoming Semenyo, where Haaland jokingly warned he had arrived to challenge for the Golden Boot and might not pass the ball. The lighthearted exchange, shared widely and followed closely by Bangladesh Cricket Live audiences, now feels like a case of life imitating humor, as Semenyo’s dream start continues and Haaland searches for his scoring touch.