Kalvin Phillips relishing thought of Premier League tasks with Leeds United but no blowing trumpet yet

Sat deep in United’s midfield, the 23-year-old is what makes Marcelo Bielsa’s free-flowing Whites orchestra tick.

It is a band that ought to be marching towards the country’s top flight based on Monday night’s superb display at Arsenal and moreover United’s position at the top of the Championship with 20 games remaining.

But level-headed Phillips is refusing to label the Whites as Premier League bound, admitting their Championship mission is far from complete and declaring: "We can’t blow our own trumpet yet."

The sound of that Whites trumpet rang loud and clear during the first half of the third round FA Cup clash at the Emirates Stadium in which United dominated their hosts.

United created a plethora of goalscoring chances yet Mikel Arteta’s Gunners somehow survived the onslaught with Patrick Bamford coming closest when hitting the crossbar with the visitors denied by a string of impressive saves from goalkeeper Emi Martinez.

United inevitably paid the price for their failure to break the deadlock as the hosts’ Reiss Nelson bagged the only goal of the game five minutes before the hour to seal Arsenal’s place in the fourth round, booking a trip to Bournemouth in the process.

Leeds, though, had already made their point, proving a good match for their more illustrious hosts and with everything seemingly pointing towards a repeat trip to north London next season, only this time on league duty.

Six games into the second half of the season, Leeds are long odds on to finally return to the country’s top flight next term, lying nine points clear of third, although fourth-placed Nottingham Forest could cut that gap to six points by winning their game in hand.

Phillips realises the promise of United’s performance on Monday night and the club’s lofty league position will ultimately count for nothing if they take their eye off the ball and fail to see the job through over the next 20 games.

“We have still got to go and do it,” said Phillips when assessing if the Whites’ display at Arsenal indicated whether they were indeed a Premier League side in waiting.

“There are many games left in the Championship, we can’t blow our own trumpet now.

“We have got to wait until the last game of the season when it is either done or it isn’t - hopefully it is.

“Based on our performance on Monday, you have seen that we can cope with the best teams in England so, hopefully, we can do it.”

For Phillips, the FA Cup test against the Gunners marked a third encounter with top-flight opposition, the Whites midfielder coming on as a 28th-minute substitute for Eunan O’Kane in the EFL Cup clash at Liverpool under Garry Monk in November 2016 in which the Reds enjoyed a 2-0 victory.

Eleven months later, Phillips started the EFL Cup clash at Leicester City under Thomas Christiansen where he was replaced by Ronaldo Vieira with 19 minutes left as the Foxes progressed with a 3-1 triumph.

But Phillips’ stock has risen significantly since following an outstanding season under Bielsa last term with United knocking back several big bids from Premier League clubs for the midfielder’s services in the summer.

The Whites Academy graduate looked every inch Premier League class in keeping Germany’s World Cup winner Mesut Ozil quiet and the midfielder admitted he loved every second of it.

“It was surreal,” said Phillips. “I’ve never been out to a stadium like that before other than Anfield. It was madness.

“But I think you have a lot of pressure going out and playing against the top four teams.

“I think the lads took to it very well, we played very well as a team and I’ve got to have a little special mention to Robbie Gotts who made his first appearance. I thought he was absolutely brilliant.”

Assessing the bid to now tackle the Ozils of this world on a weekly basis next term, Phillips pondered: “You always want to play against the best teams.

“It’s just a matter of going out there and wanting to prove that you are just as good as them.

“I think together as a team and personally I thought I did very well and the team did very well.

“If I am doing well the team is going to do well too.”