Stats have emerged that show just how bad West Ham midfielder Kalvin Phillips was during his 21-minute cameo against Newcastle United on Saturday.
Phillips has struggled at West Ham since joining the club on loan from Manchester City in January, but things went from bad to worse during his side's 4-3 defeat to Newcastle.
Three unanswered goals from Michail Antonio, Mohammed Kudus and Jarrod Bowen put West Ham firmly in control at St James' Park, so much so that with 20 minutes left to play, David Moyes decided to make a change.
He introduced Phillips from the bench in place of Antonio, but things soon began to fall apart.
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Phillips conceded a penalty just minutes into his cameo when he caught Anthony Gordon while attempting to clear the ball.
A lengthy VAR check resulted in the awarding of a spot kick, which was cooly despatched by Alexander Isak.
Phillips could do little about Newcastle's equaliser, but he put in a feeble attempt to apprehend Harvey Barnes before the attacker smashed home the winner from the edge of the penalty area.
It was clear for everyone watching that Phillips was having a stinker, and the stats only serve to confirm it.
During the 21 minutes (plus nine minutes of injury time) that Phillips was on the pitch, he had just 13 touches of the ball and completed only four of the nine passes that he attempted.
The Man City flop was dribbled past once, made just one tackle and failed to make a single interception or clearance.
The fact that he conceded a penalty and his side conceded three times while he was on the pitch perfectly sums up the start to life he has made at the London club.
Phillips joined West Ham on loan for the rest of the season late in the January transfer window, but the deal did not include a purchase option.
City paid £42 million to sign the midfielder from Leeds United in 2022, but in 18 months he made just 16 Premier League appearances.
Topics: Newcastle United, Kalvin Phillips, Premier League, Football, VAR
Alex Brotherton