'I'm beating myself up over missed chances'- Semenyo after PSG defeat

Antoine Semenyo says he is “beating himself up” over his missed opportunities after Manchester City suffered a 4-2 defeat against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League.

The Ghanaian forward was among the players who failed to convert their chances as City fell to their first defeat in all competitions this season on Wednesday.

Pep Guardiola’s side endured a difficult start, conceding three goals within the opening 35 minutes as the reigning European champions took control of the contest.

City responded after the break, with Erling Haaland helping to inspire a fightback, but their inability to take advantage of their scoring opportunities ultimately proved costly.

The hosts recorded 27 attempts and an expected goals (xG) figure of 2.5, underlining their attacking threat despite the defeat.

Semenyo had a significant opportunity shortly after Haaland’s initial strike that could have reduced the deficit to 3-2 and given City further momentum in their attempt to overturn the result.

However, the forward was unable to convert the chance, leaving him frustrated with his individual performance despite the team’s improved display in the second half.

“It's quite frustrating, to be honest. I think I'm beating myself up a little bit at the moment from all the chances that I missed,” he said.

“But I think collectively it was just the reaction, and we did so well, caused so many problems. So just unfortunate not to score. So we just take the positives and go again.”

The defeat highlighted the difference between creating opportunities and converting them, with City unable to make their attacking pressure count against a PSG side that proved more clinical in front of goal.

Despite the disappointing result, Semenyo took encouragement from the way his teammates responded after falling behind by three goals, pointing to their ability to trouble the opposition as a positive to build on.

The Ghana international also acknowledged the quality of the French side, praising their attacking talent and the challenges they presented throughout the encounter.

“They're one of the best, obviously ... Ballon d'Or candidates all around in their team. They made it very hard for us today. We knew what to expect, very unorthodox, credit to them. That's why they're back-to-back European champions,” he added.

PSG’s attacking quality and ability to establish an early advantage put City under pressure, although the hosts showed greater urgency after the interval as they attempted to recover from their difficult opening period.

City’s efforts to get back into the match were not enough to prevent their first defeat of the campaign. PSG also had an opportunity to extend their lead further, but Ferran Torres missed a late penalty that would have made the score 5-2.

For Guardiola’s team, the result represents a setback after their strong start to the season and raises questions about their finishing in a match in which they created several opportunities.

Semenyo will now be hoping to put his missed chances behind him as City look to respond in their upcoming fixtures.

The forward’s reaction reflects the disappointment within the team, but his emphasis on the collective response suggests City will seek to take encouragement from their second-half performance while working to improve their efficiency in front of goal.

With the defeat ending their unbeaten run in all competitions this season, City must now regroup and turn their attacking opportunities into goals as they seek to return to winning ways.