Manchester City forward Antoine Semenyo has acknowledged that the team must step up their game to mount a serious challenge against Arsenal for silverware this season.
City’s Premier League campaign has been marked by inconsistency, but their dramatic victory over Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday lifted them to second place with 50 points, six behind league leaders Arsenal.
Semenyo, who is enjoying the most prolific scoring season of his senior career, stressed that personal milestones are secondary to the club’s ambitions.
The 26-year-old revealed that joining Manchester City has been a long-held dream, but insists the team must continue to improve if they hope to compete for titles.
“I always thought, I want to be part of Man City,” Semenyo told Sky Sports.
“But the hard work continues. If we want to be as successful as the previous Man City teams have been, we need to catch up with Arsenal now and hopefully win all the other trophies that we’re in.
“Obviously, there have been results that haven’t gone our way, and there have been a couple of draws here and there. The manager said to us before the Newcastle game that we need to have that fire in our bellies again.
“That fire in our bellies is what’s going to kick-start a new run for us, and hopefully, us being victorious at the end of the season is the plan,” he added.
Since arriving in Manchester, Semenyo has made an immediate impact, scoring four goals in all competitions. He will be looking to extend his scoring streak when City host Fulham at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday.
