Rayan Cherki or Antoine Semenyo? With Manchester City hosting Ipswich in Gameweek 7, choosing between their midfielders is a key decision for Fantasy Premier League managers targeting the City attack.
Semenyo has offered exceptional security of minutes, playing every minute across the opening six Gameweeks. However, Cherki clearly has the higher ceiling on the evidence so far, combining greater goal threat with stronger creativity per 90 minutes.
Using Fantasy Football Fix’s Opta Comparison tool, we assess their performances across Gameweeks 1–6 to help you decide which City midfielder deserves a place in your FPL team.
Cherki has returned 44 FPL points, eight more than Semenyo’s 36, despite playing 144 fewer minutes.
His average of 7.3 points per game also beats Semenyo’s 6.0, while he leads for bonus points by seven to two.
The key difference is playing time.
Semenyo has started every match and completed 540 minutes. Cherki has played 396 minutes, with a starting percentage of 83%, compared with Semenyo’s 100%.
That leaves managers with a clear trade-off: Semenyo has provided more reliable minutes, but Cherki has delivered more points with the opportunities he has received.
Cherki’s attacking numbers explain why his appeal extends beyond his FPL points total.
Across the opening six Gameweeks, he leads Semenyo for:
The biggest difference is their expected goals. Cherki has generated more than five times Semenyo’s xG despite spending considerably less time on the pitch.
Both players have scored more goals than their underlying numbers would suggest. Cherki’s four goals from 1.84 xG should not be treated as a finishing rate he will necessarily maintain, but Semenyo’s two goals from just 0.36 xG also warrant caution.
Cherki’s stronger volume and quality of chances give him the more convincing goalscoring profile.
The shot maps add useful context, showing Cherki’s greater volume of attempts and several opportunities in central areas inside the penalty box.
Semenyo has also found shooting positions inside the area, but his lower shot volume and xG leave him behind his team-mate.
Semenyo has registered three goal assists, compared with Cherki’s two. However, the underlying creative numbers slightly favour the Frenchman.
Cherki leads for expected assists (2.02 to 1.90) and attempted assists (14 to 11). Both players have created three big chances.
That is encouraging for Cherki’s FPL prospects: his appeal is built on both scoring and creating opportunities.
Semenyo’s creativity remains a genuine strength. His 1.90 expected assists account for most of his combined expected goal involvement, showing that he can contribute even when his own shooting opportunities are limited.
Cherki, though, offers the stronger balance between goal threat and assist potential.
Because their minutes differ substantially, comparing their output per 90 minutes helps reveal how productive each player has been while on the pitch.
Adding expected goals and expected assists together, Cherki has produced approximately 0.88 expected goal involvements per 90, compared with 0.38 for Semenyo.
That is more than double Semenyo’s rate and supports the view that Cherki has the higher FPL ceiling, particularly when he receives substantial minutes in a favourable fixture.
These are still early-season samples, and per-90 numbers do not guarantee a full match. Nevertheless, Cherki’s advantage across both shooting and creativity is difficult to ignore.
Minutes remain the main concern with Cherki.
His 396 minutes equate to an average of 66 minutes per team fixture, compared with Semenyo’s 90. A benching or early substitution can limit his chances of turning strong underlying numbers into a major haul.
Semenyo’s record therefore matters. Playing every available minute gives him more time to collect attacking returns and makes him the more reassuring option based on the season so far.
However, Cherki has already outscored him despite that disadvantage. The minutes concern reduces his appeal, but it does not erase his superior attacking potential.
For managers choosing Cherki, having a reliable substitute is sensible—although that substitute will not come into play if he makes a brief appearance.
Cherki is our preferred pick for managers targeting upside against Ipswich.
He leads for FPL points, goals, expected goals, shots and expected assists, despite playing fewer minutes. His stronger attacking output per 90 gives him the clearer route to a big score if he receives enough time on the pitch.
Semenyo remains the more reassuring choice for minutes, supported by six consecutive full matches. Existing owners should not feel compelled to sell him simply because Cherki’s underlying numbers are stronger.
Our approach would be:
Check the latest team news before making your transfer, and use Fix’s Opta Comparison tool to assess the players alongside your other midfield targets.
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