ONLY Erling Haaland has scored more Premier League goals this season than Antoine Semenyo. This in itself highlights the level at which the Ghanaian is operating right now, but anyone who has watched Semenyo for Bournemouth this season knows he’s been even better than this suggests.

From the opening weekend game at Anfield, which saw Semenyo bag a brace against Liverpool, to Bournemouth’s 3-1 win over Fulham before the September international break, in which the 25-year-old scored another double and assisted another, he has been a force of nature.

In his current form, Semenyo might be the best player in the Premier League. The Ghanaian isn’t just up there among the division’s top scorers seven games into the 2025/26 campaign; he is also ranked highly for dribbles, key passes and shots per 90 minutes. The numbers speak for themselves.

Semenyo is an all-round threat on both sides of the pitch, having played on the left and right for Bournemouth this season. The 25-year-old is legitimately two-footed in the way very few players truly are, making him a nightmare to defend against. Opponents struggle to read which way he’s going on the dribble.

 

Perhaps most notable is that Semenyo is getting closer to the goal before shooting. His average shot distance has decreased since last season with the Ghanian doing a better job of timing his runs and sharpening his decision-making in the final third. From last season to this, Semenyo has improved.

Signed from Bristol City in January 2023 for a fee of just £10m, the Vitality Stadium has been the perfect place for Semenyo to develop. Andoni Iraola has given the Ghanian the freedom to play his natural game while also using Semenyo in a structure that gets the best out of his instinctive impulse to attack at speed.

No other wide attacker in the Premier League is currently on Semenyo’s level. Mohamed Salah is one of the league’s best ever but is struggling to rediscover his best form right now. Bukayo Saka has missed a chunk of the season through injury, while Jeremy Doku, Anthony Gordon, and Phil Foden are all looking for consistency.

Looking beyond wingers, Ryan Gravenberch sparkled in a series of matches for Liverpool but allowed his level to drop as the defending champions suffered through a run of three straight defeats. Moises Caicedo has impressed for Chelsea but hasn’t directly impacted as many matches as Semenyo has.

Haaland has certainly directly impacted matches, scoring nine goals in just nine games. However, the Manchester City striker doesn’t have the all-round game that Semenyo does. Haaland needs service to find the back of the net. Semenyo, on the other hand, can create a goal for himself out of nothing.

The unfortunate reality for Bournemouth is that they will almost certainly lose Semenyo to a bigger, richer club in the near future. Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur have already been linked with a move for the 25-year-old. Bournemouth might struggle to keep their best player until the end of the season.

 

For the time being, though, Semenyo is spearheading a Bournemouth team that could emulate Nottingham Forest by challenging for Champions League qualification when many predicted they would be much lower down the table. Semenyo is a player capable of playing at the highest level.

Semenyo has already produced a number of memorable moments this season. His double at Anfield was stunning. The free-kick thunderbolt away to Leeds United was special. The individual dribble and finish against Fulham wasn’t bad either. The way he’s playing Semenyo will produce many more moments like these for the Cherries.

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