• Manchester City are unbeaten in their last four Premier League meetings with QPR (W3, D1).
• Six of QPR’s last seven goals have come in the second half.
• City have lost just one of their previous seven away matches in the Premier League. (BBC Sport)
Reeling off a 2-1 loss against their latest opponent, CSKA Moscow, Manchester City is certaintly looking to rebound from unfortunate Champions League play and establish dynamic form in the Premier League, as they journey to Loftus Road to face relegation-zoned Queens Park Rangers.
The match will be open to viewers on NBC when its scheduled to kick off around 12:30 p.m. ET this Saturday, and should also have a stream running on NBC Sports Live Extra.
Latest PL results have the Sky Blues with a momentum-building 1-0 win over rivals Manchester United, but in all competitions, surprise losses to Stoke and West Ham have City points have slightly dropped them at the top of the standings. QPR missed opportunity to pull off draws vs. Chelsea and Liverpool, and in addition to multiple sub par showings, the Hoops haven’t made a great deal of headway this year.
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City haven’t exercised their first-class quality on both sides of the ball to the assumed extent, whereas QPR, coming from a successful playoff campaign in Champions Championship, aren’t supposed to be anything more than underdogs in England’s top-flight.
What they’re saying
Manchester City defender Gael Clichy on early season standards (Sky Sports): “We’re disappointed and sad because it could have been better but we are confident because of the quality we have in the squad, it is exceptional. When you play badly you have to hold your hands up but there is no time to panic because it is a long season – we’re not out of the Champions League and there are only six points between us and Chelsea.”
QPR boss Harry Redknapp mulls the possibility of City being vulnerable (Sports Mole): ”It’s a very up and down game. When you’re at a club like Man City they don’t have too many downs do they? But they still have probably the best layer in the Premier League in Aguero and they are full of quality. It’s not the worst time to play them. At the moment they are not playing with the same freedom and flare of six weeks ago.”
Injuries/match absences
For QPR, Rio Ferdinand still has to ride out a two-match ban, and midfielders Joey Barton and Nedum Onuoha have the fitness to get back on the pitch following their recovery from hamstring ailments. City skipper Vincent Kompany is still coping with a calf injury after the CSKA loss, and predictably, both David Silva and Aleksandar Kolarov are out, while Frank Lampard is set to make a return.
Prediction
The pure skill of Manchester City’s team should thwart a possible slip up against Redknapp and Co., and it’s hard to think that a loss worse than Stoke won’t happen, despite the promise QPR showed against Chelsea last week. Manchester City, 2-0.