EXCLUSIVE: Bacary Sagna On Semenyo, Guardiola’s Replacement and Arsenal’s Title Push

There are four points between Premier League leaders Arsenal and runners up Man City as we head into the weekend, and both teams have impressed Bacary Sagna this season.

Speaking exclusively to Oddspedia, Sagna told us that while he believes Man City are well on their way to another three points at St James’ Park, Arteta’s side are also heading for a comfortable victory at the North London derby on Sunday.

We sat down with the former Arsenal defender to get his thoughts on this weekend’s action, from injury setbacks at Arsenal to the role Rayan Cherki could play as Man City continues to chase down the Gunners.

Sagna: Semenyo should stay put – but if he goes he could take Man Utd to the next level

Speculation is rife on Antoine Semenyo’s next move, but Bacary Sagna believes it would be a mistake for the Bournemouth winger to leave the club in January. The former Premier League defender told us that while reports of a £65m release clause in Semenyo’s contract may be accurate, the Ghanaian would be better off staying where he is at least until the summer.

Speaking exclusively to Oddspedia, Sagna said: “If I was Antoine Semenyo, I would stay at Bournemouth until the end of the season. As a player, moving clubs in the January transfer window can be disruptive; it’s much better to stay until the summer and then make a decision, and integrate into the team properly – rather than joining midway through a campaign.

If Semenyo is to go, his release clause will have to be activated within the first two weeks of January’s transfer window, to give his current club a fighting chance at finding a replacement.

Semenyo has a good relationship with his current club, and hardly seems desperate to leave so soon, but with the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool taking an interest Bournemouth could well decide to let Semenyo go and use that extra cash on new players that could cover multiple positions.

“Looking forward, if he was to leave Bournemouth and stay in the Premier League, I think Manchester United would be a suitable option for him,” said Sagna.

“He could definitely help the club get back to the top end of the league and if he did join them, he’d be regarded as the player which made the difference and take United to the next level. He’s young, fresh and has proven he can shine in big games this season – so I think Old Trafford could be a good destination for him.”

Kompany is the “best possible fit” for Guardiola’s replacement

Pep Guardiola currently has the sixth most stressful job in the Premier League, so it’s perhaps unsurprising that he plans to take a break from coaching when he leaves Man City.

When asked who he thought should replace the Premier League’s longest-serving manager, Bacary Sagna told us that Vincent Kompany is the man for the job.

Speaking exclusively to Oddspedia, Sagna said: “I could see Vincent Kompany returning to Manchester City as manager after Pep Guardiola leaves. Kompany knows the club very well and was there for years as a player and captain. I know he loves Manchester as a city too – he’s still personally attached to them even after all these years.”

Now in his 10th season at the Etihad, Guardiola may be a hard act to follow, but if anyone can do it it’s got to be Vincent Kompany. His personal attachment to the club alone makes him “the best possible fit,” explained Sagna.

Kompany of course captained the team to it’s first league title in 44 years in 2011-12, and proved so successful during his 11 years at the club they named a road after him.

“He’s doing a brilliant job at Bayern Munich this season and has proven himself as a top-level coach, but it’s the personal attachment with Man City which would make him the best possible fit to become the club’s next manager,” Sagna told us.

”He won’t move from Bayern anytime soon, so it will depend on timings if he were to return to City, but he would be a really good appointment for them.”

Sagna tips Man City for a win at St James’ Park

Sagna is predicting three points for Manchester City this weekend. His old club takes on Newcastle on Saturday, and while St James’ Park can be “a tricky place to win at,” Sagna told us that “City can come away with a victory.”

Guardiola’s men are now chasing down Premier League leaders Arsenal, and Sagna has been impressed with their efforts so far.

“Manchester City look really good this season,” he said. “I’ve been particularly impressed with Rayan Cherki – I always liked him at Lyon and he’s settled in nicely under Guardiola. He could be the match-winner at St James’ Park.”

Arsenal’s Premier League chances won’t be impacted by Gabriel’s injury, says Sagna

Former Arsenal defender Bacary Sagna told Oddspedia that he doesn’t believe Gabriel’s injury will hold Arsenal back as the club battles on for this year’s Premier League title.

Mikel Arteta still has plenty of quality players to choose from, and while he might not have wanted to replace the Brazilian centre-back at this point in the season, doing so is unlikely to hold the club back.

“It’s unfortunate for any player to get injured, but Mikel Arteta has players at his disposal to fill Gabriel’s position in the meantime,” said Sagna. “They will notice him not being part of the back line, but I don’t believe it will have too much of an impact.”

Arsenal have faced similar challenges before, of course. They’ll have learned the lessons of 2023, when the club definitely felt the effects of Saliba’s absence due to injury. “But things have changed since then,” Sagna expained. “Ben White and Riccardo Calafiori are more than capable of filling Gabriel’s position while he’s out; they’re both top quality players and are proof of the improvements to the squad in recent years.”

Arsenal will still have their eye on the prize, and this latest setback shouldn’t have the same impact. “Gabriel’s injury won’t stop Arsenal from challenging for the Premier League title. They have a much deeper squad now, compared to two or three years ago,” said Sagna.

Sagna predicts an Arsenal win on Sunday

Sagna has high hopes for Arsenal going into this weekend’s fixtures. In his opinion, the Gunners are well on their way to victory at Sunday’s North London derby, and that fourth Premier League title is within their sights.

“I’ve been really impressed with Arsenal so far this season,” said Sagna. “They seem to have the right mentality to sustain a Premier League title challenge and have already performed well in some big games.

“At home, they will have too much quality against Tottenham, even with Gabriel’s absence. I can see them winning comfortably, 2-0.”

Bacary Sagna was speaking exclusively with Oddspedia. All quotes in this article are taken from an exclusive interview conducted by Oddspedia. Journalists and media outlets are welcome to use these quotes, provided they are attributed to Oddspedia. Please ensure links back to the original article to provide full context for readers.