Antoine Semenyo breaks silence on backflip celebration, vows to stop after mother’s call

Antoine Semenyo has revealed he will no longer perform his trademark backflip celebration after receiving a firm but loving warning from his mother, following Manchester City’s dramatic 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur.

The forward was on the scoresheet as City raced into a two-goal lead, only for Spurs to mount a spirited comeback inspired by Dominic Solanke’s second-half brace.

Tottenham found themselves behind early after a moment of brilliance from Rayan Cherki in the 11th minute. The City playmaker cut inside and curled a precise right-footed effort into the bottom-left corner to ignite the contest.

Erling Haaland soon had a chance to double the advantage after being released by a sweeping pass, but the Norwegian lifted his effort over Guglielmo Vicario’s crossbar.

City continued to threaten, with Cherki forcing another sharp save from Vicario following a dazzling run. However, the Spurs goalkeeper was powerless just before half-time as Semenyo calmly finished to put City 2-0 ahead.

Despite losing captain Cristian Romero at the interval, Spurs responded strongly after the break. Solanke reduced the deficit eight minutes into the second half, squeezing his effort home despite desperate defending from Marc Guehi.

Tottenham’s momentum was then rewarded in spectacular fashion in the 70th minute, as Solanke met Conor Gallagher’s cross with an audacious scorpion kick that looped beyond Gianluigi Donnarumma, completing his fourth Premier League brace.

Wilson Odobert and Xavi Simons both had late opportunities to snatch a winner for Spurs, but City’s goalkeeper produced superb saves to ensure the points were shared.

After the match, Semenyo reflected not only on the game but also on his now-famous celebration. Speaking to CBS Sports, he disclosed that a message from his mother had prompted a change of heart.

Semenyo said,

While the backflip may be retired, Semenyo’s impact on the pitch remains firmly grounded, as his goal helped set the stage for one of the Premier League’s most entertaining encounters of the season.