West Ham United player ratings v Nottingham Forest: Kalvin Phillips stinks
West Ham were dealt their latest defeat at the hands of Nottingham Forest, as Taiwo Awoniyi and Callum Hudson-Odoi scored late in each half during a 2-0 loss on Saturday 17 February.
To make matters worse, as the Hammers made it eight games without a victory, Kalvin Phillips was given his marching orders after a second yellow-card offence on Morgan Gibbs-White.
The pressure has been mounting on David Moyes over the past few weeks, and the 2-0 loss to Forest will only make the criticising voices grow louder.
Here West Ham Zone rates the players out of 10 for their performances, with all stats used coming from FotMob.
West Ham United continue losing streak
Alphonse Areola – 8
The Frenchman was one of the only positives in the defeat to Nottingham Forest, making six saves to keep the opposition from running away with the match.
Vladimir Coufal – 6
Coufal was in the wars against Forest, attempting to fight off Callum Hudson-Odoi and Nuno Tavares. With most of the opposition’s attack coming down their right flank, the full-back was drifting further up the pitch to make a bigger impact.
Nayef Aguerd – 4
The Moroccan was completely out of his depth as Awoniyi turned the defender before slotting past Areola, conceding the first goal in a match for the third consecutive time.
Kurt Zouma – 2
Having been hooked at half-time against Arsenal on Sunday 11 February, the same could have happened to Zouma after a desperately poor attempt to deal with Awoniyi in the air during the opening 45 minutes. His struggles continued into the second half, picking up a yellow card before the hour mark.
Emerson Palmieri – 6
Having won 100 per cent of his tackles, 71 per cent of his ground duels, and making seven recoveries, Emerson was one of the strongest outfield performers during the match and deserves to be applauded for his efforts.
Kalvin Phillips – 1
After such a difficult start to his West Ham career, Phillips was a disgrace once again today and looked completely out of his depth. Moyes has kept him in and out since arriving on loan, but he will be without the flop for another game now after his red card.
Edson Alvarez – 6
Seeming to be part of a blossoming midfield partnership with Phillips, there was little to criticise Alvarez for. The centre-backs were poor, and so too were the attackers, so all the midfield duo could do was win their duels.
Mohammed Kudus – 4
Kudus failed to make the desired impact against Forest, picking up an early yellow card for a challenge on Neco Williams. With the caution on his mind, the Ghanaian may have pulled out of the occasional tackle and did not have his usual ferociousness.
James Ward-Prowse – 5
The free-kick specialist had a couple of chances to make something happen at The City Ground but was unable to help his side in the defeat. A tough day for anyone, but Ward-Prowse looked the most dangerous outlet.
Jarrod Bowen – 5
Bowen was largely ineffective but seemed to have the most energy on the pitch, attempting to move his team forward in a must-win game. His frustrations were obvious, with a lack of service for the club’s top scorer this season.
Michail Antonio – 4
Antonio won the occasional free-kick with his hold-up play and driving runs but was relatively ineffective for large parts of the game. It felt harsh to pin so much pressure on the striker, who has only just returned from injury.
West Ham substitutions
Maxwel Cornet (On for Michail Antonio 76′) – N/A
Ben Johnson (On for Vladimir Coufal 76′) – N/A
Tomas Soucek (On for Emerson Palmieri 83′) – N/A
Danny Ings (On for Kurt Zouma 90+3′) – N/A
In other West Ham news, Steve Cooper was sacked by Forest this season but could yet end up at the London Stadium.
For more West Ham news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.