Queens Park Rangers are dangerously close to the relegation zone following the three-match losing run and they have got to try and kick-start their season with a win over Everton. The Toffees are flying high at the moment and they hope to keep the rich vein of form and record the fifth away win of the season.

QPR on the downtrend

Queens Park Rangers chiefs have spent piles of cash on new players since gaining promotion to the Premier League, but they didn’t really have a transfer strategy and that could end up costing them the Premiership survival. Rather than rebuilding the squad in the off-season, they had waited until the final days of the summer transfer window to recruit new players and then did the same in the January transfer window. As a result, Queens Park Rangers now boast a squad filled with experienced Premiership footballers, but Rs simply do not look like a team. QPR are now going through a very rough patch, having lost last three games in the Premier League and following defeats to Wolverhampton, Blackburn and Fulham, they cannot be trusted to fare any better against in-form Everton. With Djibril Cisse and Alejandro Faurlin still unavailable, Mark Hughes’s side don’t look like they can cause the Toffees too many problems.

Djibril Cisse serves the final game of his three-match ban, whereas Samba Diakite is also suspended after being sent off on his debut. Taye Taiwo, Luke Young and DJ Campbell should return.

This is real Everton

Defensive solidity and hard-working approach have always been Everton’s strong features, but the Toffees just couldn’t realize their full attacking potential in the first part of the season. With Saha, Cahill and Drente all struggling with injuries, David Moyes’ side had big problems in the scoring department, but it appears that attacking woes are finally over. Steven Pienaar returned from Tottenham to aid the creative department and together with fit-again Tim Cahill and Royston Drenthe, the South African now forms a trio of very good attacking midfielders. However, it is the virtually unknown Argentine striker Denis Starcqualursi that forms the last piece of the puzzle as he acts as an old-style centre forward who works hard for the team and still finds the time to be a real threat for opposition defenders. Taking all this into account, nobody was surprised to see Everton win four of their last five games and I certainly expect the trend to continue.

Tim Cahill, Jack Rodwell, Victor Anichebe and Leon Osman are back in contention, but Phil Jagielka and Darron Gibson are long-term worries.

Verdict

Queens Park Rangers look unable to arrest the dismal run of results and with several important players missing they are likely to struggle against high-flying Everton. The Toffees are brimming with confidence at the moment and they should have enough in them to bring all three points to Goodison.

Our prediction: Everton Draw No Bet

Odds: 1.67 (2/3)

Bookmaker: bet365