QPR vs West Ham

April 24, 2015
By: Nemanja Lazarevic

QPR were unfortunate not to get anything from the Chelsea clash, but having notched up several very good performances in a row, Rangers head into the local derby in very good spirits. The Hammers suffered yet another defeat to slip to tenth and they could struggle to match the intensity and drive of a team fighting for their lives at Loftus Road.

Can they beat the drop?

Queens Park Rangers experienced some tough times after the turn of the year, losing nine of ten Premier League fixtures between 10th January and 23rd March, but those results do not exactly paint the right picture. Rangers matched the opposition in most of those games, losing quite a few matches by the narrowest of margins, and they were bound to come good eventually. It was the 4-1 triumph over West Bromwich at the Hawthorns that acted as a major boost ahead of the season finale, and the team then produced another impressive performance on the road, narrowly missing out on a win over relegation rivals Aston Villa. The fact that QPR gave Chelsea a real run for their money last weekend and only lost the match after Cesc Fabregas scored late into the game is enough to suggest they have rediscovered their form and the clash with out-of-sorts West Ham will seem as a perfect opportunity to record a much needed win and possibly leave the relegation zone. And with most key men available, the hosts can be trusted to continue the rich vein of form and edge closer to Premier League survival.

Important midfielder Leroy Fer could return after missing last two months of action, but Eduardo Vargas and Rio Ferdinand remain sidelined.

On the downtrend

West Ham were one of the main surprise packages of the first part of the season, with Sam Allardyce’s side climbing into European positions on the back of some impressive displays against England’s top sides. However, the excellent run once again proved short-lived as Big Sam was unable to help his side remain close to the top 4 places. While they enjoyed some promising results at the start of 2015, things started taking a turn for the worse after the 2-0 loss to Liverpool and the Hammers have now won just one of their last twelve matches in all competitions. Following the 2-0 loss at Etihad, West Ham are on the verge of slipping to the bottom half of the standings and even though they are not in danger of getting relegated, a bottom-table finish would be largely disappointing after such a good start to the campaign. It is perfectly clear that the players are out of confidence at the moment, and key men Downing and Song are far from the desired form. Add to that the fact that Diafra Sakho, Andy Carroll and James Tomkins are unavailable and you will understand why I seriously doubt West Ham can avoid defeat at Loftus Road.

Guy Demel has joined the lengthy injury list that already included Andy Carroll, James Tomkins, Diafra Sakho and Doneil Henry.

Verdict

QPR will have the upper hand over the opposition as they are fighting for their lives, while West Ham have little to play for at the moment, but that is only one of the reasons home win appears on the cards. The Rangers are clearly in very good form at the moment and have all key men available, unlike the Hammers, who are going through a rough patch and cannot count on the likes of Sakho, Carroll and Tomkins.

Top pick: QPR Draw no bet   1.73 (8/11) @ Coral

Alternative pick 1: Home win   2.40 (7/5) @ Betfred

Alternative pick 2: Austin to score   2.70 (17/10) @ Betfair

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