Kalvin Phillips compared to Dele Alli after rapid fall from grace at Man City as ex-Premier League star claims England international has 'lost all belief' under Pep Guardiola

After an impressive stint at Leeds, City snapped up Phillips in a deal worth £42 million ($52m) in the summer of 2022, but his career has stalled since then, as he has made only 31 appearances in all competitions for the Premier League champions. Phillips ended up joining West Ham on loan for the second half of the 2023-24 campaign, but he was heavily criticised for his performances in east London, too.

The 28-year-old's plight has drawn comparisons to the struggles of Dele, who was once considered one of England's most promising midfielders when he came through at Tottenham, only to drift into obscurity before he was sidelined for the entirety of last season due to injury while at Everton.

Ex-Liverpool and Aston Villa star Saunders juxtaposed the pair when asked about Phillips' struggles under Pep Guardiola, saying on talkSPORT: "We’ve seen it happen to Dele Alli. Dele Alli became disillusioned and all of a sudden, what’s happened to him? I see Dele Alli bursting into the box past Harry Kane, getting on the end of things, making goals. Kalvin Phillips, I see him intercepting things, keeping it simple, passing to people who can go past people and obviously, he’s lost all his belief and confidence. And when your confidence goes, you know, if I went eight games without scoring, I couldn’t even control the ball. Everything’s an effort and your belief goes and you start thinking you’re a bad player and that’s what’s happened to him."

Phillips is unlikely to fare any better at City this season as the English champions are expected to move him on in the current transfer window, though it is not yet known where he will end up. Aston Villa have been linked with a move for the 28-year-old in recent weeks.