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Fulham face QPR ~ Ch. Match Preview MD08

last updated Thursday 24th September 2015, 9:55 PM


Fulham Manager Kit Symons
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This weekend's Friday night match in the Championship is a West London derby between Fulham and Queens Park Rangers.

Both sides are enduring mini-slumps and will be desperate to get back to winning ways at Craven Cottage.

After finally seeming to find their feet with three wins in a row in all competitions, Kit Symons's Fulham have lost back-to-back games to have their bubble burst.

On Saturday they became the first team to lose to Sheffield Wednesday in the league since the opening day of the season by going down 3-2 at Hillsborough.

The biggest positive from the defeat was the performance of Jamie O'Hara, who scored the equaliser and set up Tom Cairney's second-half consolation. The former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder has played every minute this season and completed more successful passes (468) than any other Championship player.

The Cottagers have been in action since, losing out to a Peter Crouch goal in the Capital One Cup third round against Stoke City.

Supporters might have fancied an upset against the Premier League side and they would have been even more annoyed when Stoke got a home draw against Fulham's biggest rivals Chelsea last night.

With Matt Smith injured, Fulham boss Symons has a tough choice of who to partner Ross McCormack with up front. Moussa Dembele and Cauley Woodrow have rotated in recent matches and the latter might feel he should be the one to start on Friday given his two goals in three league matches this season.

Three wins in a row to end August put QPR right in the mix at the top of the table, but they are winless in September and have dropped to ninth in the table.

Disappointing home results against Nottingham Forest and Blackburn Rovers started the month, but Chris Ramsey's side improved last weekend with a 1-1 draw at Hull City, who had won every home league match this season prior to the stalemate.

In Charlie Austin, Rangers possess the league's top marksman and his lead at the top of the scoring charts was extended yesterday, even though QPR were not playing.

The Football League's Dubious Goals Committee reached the verdict that the R's first goal in the 2-2 draw with Blackburn Rovers last week was an Austin goal after it had initially gone down as an own goal, taking the striker's tally to seven in eight matches.

Austin's goals have helped QPR to the top of the attack league with 14 goals in eight matches, but they have been far from watertight at the other end - only bottom two sides Bristol City and Rotherham United (both 17) have conceded more goals than QPR (13).

    Head-to-head

  • This will be the two teams' first meeting in over two years and Fulham have had the better of it in recent encounters.


  • QPR have won just one of their last eight games against the Cottagers (D1 L6), failing to score in six of those games.


  • Fulham have also enjoyed playing QPR at home in recent times, winning four on the trot and netting 12 goals in those victories.



  • Fulham


  • Fulham's Jamie O'Hara has made more successful passes (468) than any other Championship player in 2015-16.


  • Fulham's Cauley Woodrow has scored with both of his shots this season.


  • Fulham have won 40%, drawn 25% and lost 35% of their last 20 home games.


  • Fulham have scored 1 goal or less in 10 of their last 20 home games, going on to win 0, draw 3 and lose 7 of these matches.


  • Fulham have scored in 85% of their last 20 home games.


  • Fulham have scored first in 50% of their last 20 home games.



  • QPR


  • The Hoops boast the Championship's leading scorer - Charlie Austin on seven goals.


  • QPR have won 20%, drawn 10% and lost 70% of their last 20 away games.


  • QPR have scored 1 goal or less in 16 of their last 20 away games, going on to win 1, draw 1 and lose 14 of these matches.


  • QPR have conceded in 90% of their last 20 away games.


  • QPR have scored first in 30% of their last 20 away games.
























Source Pascal Lemesre at SportsMole/BBCSports/KickOff
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