Manchester City winger Antoine Semenyo has praised Enzo Fernandez after the Argentina international starred in Sunday's 5-3 win over Sunderland at the Etihad Stadium.
Enzo Fernandez has received praise from Antoine Semenyo after opening his Manchester City goalscoring account against Sunderland on Sunday.
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Fernandez opened the scoring against Sunderland, his first Premier League goal since completing his club-record £125 million move from Chelsea in the summer, and has quickly established himself as one of the most influential figures in Enzo Maresca's midfield since making his debut start in the UEFA Champions League win at Porto earlier this month.
The 25-year-old has brought a calm, technical authority to the centre of the park that has complemented the more dynamic, high-energy qualities of Elliot Anderson and Nico O'Reilly in the three-man unit Maresca has settled on.
Semenyo himself had an afternoon to remember against Sunderland, scoring twice in what was his one of his most complete and decisive performances since joining City from Bournemouth in January.
The Ghana international had been a steady presence in the opening weeks of the campaign, covering for the absent Jeremy Doku on the left, but Sunday was the first occasion on which he truly imposed himself on a Premier League game, with his pace and directness causing Sunderland problems throughout.
His performance drew favourable comparisons with the kind of explosive wide play City supporters had been hoping to see from him in east Manchester.
The two goals were the product of a partnership with Fernandez and Erling Haaland that is starting to show the hallmarks of an established attacking unit rather than a collection of new arrivals still learning each other's movement.
Haaland scored once himself to take his tally to seven in six appearances across all competitions, and the combination of his hold-up play and Semenyo's runs in behind proved a recurring problem for Sunderland's backline across the afternoon.
The Etihad Stadium was treated to an an eight-goal thriller on Sunday afternoon that went in the way of Manchester City, who remain perfect in the Premier League under Enzo Maresca.cityxtra.co.ukMatch Report and Player Ratings: Man City 5-3 Sunderland (Premier League)
The Etihad Stadium was treated to an an eight-goal thriller on Sunday afternoon that went in the way of Manchester City, who remain perfect in the Premier League under Enzo Maresca.
Semenyo on Fernandez: It's So Good to Have Him at Man City
Speaking to the Mirror after Sunday's win over Sunderland, Semenyo said of Fernandez: "It's good to have him. He's nice, calm, collected, aggressive when he needs to be, but he obviously has his quality on the ball. So we're happy he's in the team and there will be many more goals and assists to come."
City's summer was one of the most significant in the club's recent history, with Fernandez, Anderson, Ayyoub Bouaddi, Iliman Ndiaye and Allan Elias all arriving alongside Enzo Maresca as the new manager.
That so many new players have integrated as quickly as the early results suggest is a reflection of both Viana's recruitment work and Maresca's ability to build team cohesion from the outset.
Fernandez also has history with Maresca from the Italian's time at Chelsea, where the two worked together briefly before Maresca's departure in January.
That familiarity is understood to have been a factor in the midfielder's desire to follow his former manager to the Etihad Stadium, and the opening weeks suggest the relationship has carried over seamlessly into the Premier League environment.
What is next for Semenyo and Manchester City?
The international break gives Semenyo time to reflect on a performance that will have significantly raised his profile at the club, with the Ghana international now having staked a claim for a regular starting berth even when Doku returns to full fitness.
City resume Premier League action in late September before the October schedule brings Liverpool on the 11th and Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League three days later: fixtures in which Fernandez's composure and Semenyo's directness will both be tested against considerably stiffer opposition than Sunderland provided.