Match Preview
Fulham vrs Queens Park Ranger
Championship Match Day 12 at Craven Cottage
Saturday 16th October 2021 KO: 12:30
Referee:
Oliver Langford (West Midlands)
Live on Sky
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Fulham play host to London rivals Queens Park Rangers on Saturday afternoon looking to retain their place in the top six of the Championship standings.
The home side hold just a two-point advantage over the Hoops, who make the short trip to Craven Cottage on the back of two successive wins.
The Football Association decided during the international break that Fulham's 4-1 defeat at Coventry City was partly a consequence of Sky Blues forward Matt Godden cheating to earn a penalty.
However, despite that goal giving Coventry a 2-1 lead and plenty of momentum, Fulham head coach Marco Silva will still be concerned by how his team continued to capitulate after previously holding a half-time advantage.
The Portuguese will feel somewhat relieved that the Cottagers still sit in fifth position after three defeats in six matches, but he will recognise that they need to improve and fast.
Goals are not a problem for this team, the likes of Aleksandar Mitrovic and Harry Wilson having 13 strikes and six assists between them since the start of August.
Nevertheless, Fulham's last league clean sheet came at the end of August, and Silva knows that the wait for another shutout cannot be prolonged if they want to remain in touch with the top two.
That especially rings true ahead of a game against a fellow promotion rival with QPR having overturned their poor run of form with back-to-back victories.
After blowing a lead at West Bromwich Albion, QPR have responded with success against Birmingham City and Preston North End at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium.
While things have not always gone swimmingly for his side this season, Mark Warburton will be satisfied that QPR are back in the playoff places at this stage of the season.
There will be a call to approach this game in isolation, but this rejuvenated squad will recognise the significance of landing another blow on their neighbours on away territory.
On the back of two crucial strikes for his country, Scotland international Lyndon Dykes has now contributed a goal or assist on his last four outings.
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Fulham are unbeaten in five league matches against QPR (W3 D2), completing a league double over their west London rivals when they last met in 2019-20.
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QPR have lost 10 of their last 14 league games against Fulham (W2 D2) and haven’t kept a clean sheet against the Cottagers since February 2000 in a 0-0 draw, goalkeeper Lee Harper keeping their clean sheet that day.
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Fulham’s Aleksandar Mitrovic is the Championship’s joint-top scorer with 10 goals (level with Ben Brereton Díaz) and has scored in six of his last eight London derbies in the Championship (excluding play-offs), netting six times.
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QPR have won the most games (20), the most points (65) and scored the most goals (59) of any Championship team in 2021 (excluding play-offs).
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QPR’s Chris Willock has had 12 ball carries ending with creating a chance for a teammate in the Championship this season, the most of any player. Indeed, only Coventry’s Viktor Gyökeres (17) and Blackburn’s Ben Díaz (15) have produced more ball carries ending with a shot than Willock (14).