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Manchester Evening News

Man City loanee Kalvin Phillips suffers new nightmare as Ipswich boss left fuming

Phillips was sent off as Ipswich were held to a 1-1 draw by Leicester in the Premier League on Saturday

Kalvin Phillips' dismissal cost Ipswich their first victory of the season in a match against Leicester.


The midfielder, on loan from Manchester City, was included in Kieran McKenna's starting line-up for the clash with the Foxes at Portman Road on Saturday. It marked his seventh appearance since joining Ipswich in the summer.


However, the game quickly turned sour for the England international. Phillips narrowly avoided a red card just before half-time when he attempted to challenge Facundo Buonanotte.


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He elbowed the Argentine playmaker in the back of the head and received a yellow card. VAR reviewed the incident but decided it did not warrant further punishment.


Leif Davis seemed to have secured Ipswich's victory with an impressive strike, but Phillips' sending off disrupted their plans. He received a second yellow card in the 77th minute for a late tackle on Ricardo Pereira.

This proved costly for Ipswich as Jordan Ayew scored a last-minute equaliser in the 94th minute. The former Crystal Palace forward teamed up with Jamie Vardy to score the goal.

Ipswich now sit 18th in the Premier League table and are one of two teams yet to secure a win - the other being Wolverhampton Wanderers. After the game, Ipswich goalscorer Davis expressed sympathy for his teammate.


"If you're playing against 10 men then you get that momentum swing," Davis said. "I think he's disappointed it happened and in his head he probably thinks he needs to be cleverer but it happened.

"I'm buzzing that is my first goal but I would have been happier with the three points. We want to get points on the board. I was just in the right place at the right time. I've always wanted to score in the Prem.

"Everyone came in with clear heads and worked hard on the Monday morning after last week. We'll watch it back and improve."


Meanwhile, Kieran McKenna, manager of Ipswich Town, voiced his dissent towards the referee's decision on the sending-off, as well as lamenting a missed penalty opportunity for his team.

"I said I thought it was a penalty and it had to be given live," McKenna said.

"He said he thought there wasn't enough. I thought it was clear. The second yellow card, of course when you look at it in slow motion and the ball is bouncing on the edge of the box. I trust Kalvin. I don't think it's a wild one.


"I know you can slow it down but in the context of the game, the ball is bouncing on the edge of the box, and he pulls out the challenge. It's not a wild one."

With Phillips facing suspension due to his red card, Ipswich must now face their forthcoming fixture without him as they aim to clinch a victory. Their next match is an away game against Tottenham Hotspur next Sunday.

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Phillips, who has two-and-a-half years remaining on his contract with Manchester City, also had a challenging stint at West Ham last season when he was loaned out to the London club.

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