QPR vs Arsenal Match Thread

[Mario]

This is a match we will be expected to win but teams fighting for their lives at this stage of the season are some of the toughest you can play. QPR have not been very good recently but they did get that win against Liverpool in their last home game, admittedly against a Liverpool team that were a shambles, so maybe they will feel they can sneak something against us, as well. Our recent away games have all been close, hard fought wins (injury time winners vs Liverpool and Sunderland and the 1-0 vs Everton) and I do expect something similar again as I think Hughes will pack the midfield and play it tight and niggly. Complacency is probably the biggest concern we have going into this game.


The Scouting Report from Arsenal.com with former Arsenal player Stewart Robson and local journalist, Yann Tear:

Scouting Report: QPR v Arsenal

STEWART ROBSON
"Whenever I have watched QPR this season they have shown a lack of discipline in terms of their behaviour and team shape. The back four has plenty of pace with Luke Young, Nedum Onuoha and Anton Ferdinand, yet the two centre halves lack awareness and can be caught out of position.

"In midfield, Jamie Mackie is hard-working and honest, Shaun Derry and Samba Diakite will try to win the midfield battle and Adel Taraabt will drift into areas where he can demonstrate his talent. Unfortunately for QPR, he can lose the ball in bad areas and he is not a strong defender. Against Arsenal I am sure that Mark Hughes will add another body in the central area to stop the Gunners completely dominating.

"Up front, Bobby Zamora will lead the line. He has caused Arsenal problems before but he seems to have lost some of his athleticism to run in behind defences and usually receives the ball with his back to goal."


YANN TEAR, FULHAM CHRONICLE
"At the moment, the most important issue around the personnel is whether or not Joey Barton will be left out of the side. Mark Hughes tends to play quite a conventional 4-4-2 with two holding midfielders, Shaun Derry and Samba Diakite.

"QPR's form this season has generally been very patchy and at home they have had difficultly and have not done well. That said, the win over Liverpool has made a huge difference to their hopes and that came out of nothing really because they had struggled in that game.

"It is hard to know how they will approach this in truth. The one thing you do know about Rangers is that you don't know what their pattern of play will generally be like. Hughes has not really set them into a pattern of whether they should play the ball out wide or through the middle a bit more.

"They know they are not going to see as much of the ball as they would like to in this game so they may be on the defensive for large parts of the game. I am sure that Hughes will not get them playing gung-ho but he does know that the best chance he has against Arsenal is to expose them defensively.

"You would have said Djibril Cisse would be their man to watch had he not been sent off in the last match [against Sunderland]. He has been scoring regularly but the problem for Rangers is that they keep getting players sent off. Adel Taraabt has had a few good games recently but he hasn't scored yet this season.

"It is difficult to pinpoint somebody who could cause damage at the moment but I would say the key player is probably Jamie Mackie because he has played very well and looked every bit a Premier League finisher. He got the winner against Liverpool and I think there is every chance he might fill in for Cisse. He deserves his chance.

"As for Bobby Zamora, I think the jury is still out on him. He got off to a great start but since then he hasn't really convinced. He has looked like a better version of Jay Bothroyd for sure and he holds the ball up very well but the trouble is that his relationship with Cisse does not get the chance to flourish because the latter has been sent off twice now. I think they could play very well together but at the moment Zamora is still feeling his way into the team.

"Arsenal are in such great form and have won seven on the trot now. They have also managed to knock out a couple of clean sheets too so it looks as though they have tightened up defensively. For some reason I do see a similar result here to the one at Everton, 1-0 to Arsenal. I think it could be quite tight and I don't think Arsenal are going to run away with it.

"Hughes will have seen that they struggled to break QPR down at the Emirates earlier in the season and he may think his side can do it again. He will probably think that the best way to get past Arsenal is to try and frustrate them."



Match Stats

- Arsenal have picked up the most points from losing positions so far this season (19), while no side has dropped fewer than QPR from winning positions (15)
- Arsenal have not visited Loftus Road in a league match since 1996 and have not won a league fixture there in 22 years
- QPR have shipped an average of 1.76 goals per game in the Premier League this season. Seven of their last eight goals have come after half time
- Arsenal, meanwhile, score an average of 2.03 goals per league match
- QPR's Adel Taraabt has had 63 shots without scoring in the league this season - more than any other player
- The west London side also hold the unwanted record of the most red cards this season (6)
- Mikel Arteta needs one more appearance to reach 200 in the Premier League
- The hosts have won just one of their last eight matches
- In 17 head-to-head meetings between Mark Hughes and Arsène Wenger there have been only three draws. Wenger has come out on top in nine of those matches
- There has never been a red card or a hat-trick in Premier League meetings between the two sides

http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/42725/stats-pack-get-your-pre-match-facts


So, any reason we shouldn't go with the team that started against Villa? Well, apart from Koscielny coming in for Djourou, although Koscielny is 1 yellow card away from missing the City and Wolves matches.

Szczesny
Sagna Koscielny Vermaelen Gibbs
Song Arteta Rosicky
Walcott RVP Gervinho

... think that team will do.

[Hisham El Mawan]

I agree entirely. Nothing but our strongest team here, and hopefully Koscielny doesn't get himself booked. I see us winning this one, maybe 2-0.

[DaveToffy]

How was DJ Ourou against Villa (I didn't get to see the match)? I think its absolutely imperative we have Koscielny 100% fit and available to partner Vermaelen for the City match if we are to expect to nab any points from it.

I'd prefer DJ to start again as he can do a job against QPR's quality of attackers... Man City's I'm not so convinced (unless he suddenly returns to Barca CL 2011 form).

[Michael Foster]

This is one match we will need to be careful of QPR May have not always bagged the points against the big boys this season but they have raised the game to try and win it...

Expecting them fully to try and shut down our middle cogs....with the city game coming up I am half expecting Wenger to go with those who are not always first choice,
This is no easy game...our fitness could hold the key to winning this one...
Run them into the ground..

I fancy a slender 1-0 arsenal win...

[janelle.noel]

i was totally shocked that Djourou dodnt look completely inept vs Villa, in fact he looked decent. Agree with Dave, he could start here.
Big plus for us no djibril Cisse, he's been their only spark really, they look a good side with him in, shambles without him.

[Mario]

Have to remember that Heskey led the line against Djourou for the most part and he is one big joke. Villa fans were chanting "Emile Heskey, he scores when he wants" and cheered when he was subbed off. How he is still a Premiership player, dear lord.

And not just Heskey, Villa as a unit were absolutely woeful. And although QPR are even worse than them, which takes some doing, at home with something to play for it's a different challenge. A tougher challenge.

That said, can he not do a job against QPR with the rest of the first choice XI to back him up? I think he can, despite his form earlier this season. But can we afford to risk it? We have just managed 2 clean sheets in a row for the first time since the beginning of November, we haven't managed 3 in a row this season. We would have a better chance of doing that with Koscielny.

[Chris Chan]

Can see him resting Kos though because of those cards. If he doesnt get carded at the weekend, the card limit increases right?

[Mario]

I THINK it's next weekend.

[Jenks1981]

I'd be happy to leave Koscielny out with that in mind, we need him and Vermaelen against City.

[Zaid Derweesh]

I'd be happy to leave Kos out as well. If Djourou can't be trusted against QPR, then he can't be trusted at all. I trust him to do an adequate job.

Apart from that, I expect a draw for some reason. Either 0-0 or 1-1. 8 games is a long winning run, and while there is absolutely nothing to suggest it should end tomorrow, I just worry. Perhaps we're due some bad luck!! With every win comes more pressure to extend the run though, which I hope is not getting to the players. One game at a time boys!

I hope not though. 8 wins on the trot would be excellent, and put pressure on Spurs and Chelsea.

[Jenks1981]

We havent won 8 on the spin since 2004. I think we can win this one though...

Team news from press conferences is Kos will be in the squad, Diaby had some pain so is not included in the squad. Wilshire doing well, I wonder if he will be one who plays reserve games first or whether one week soon he will spring up as a sub for the first team and make headlines.

[Vanig Bostanian]

I am quite optimistic about this game. Yes, complacency might hurt us big time, but this is not the team led by Cesc that included Nasri as well. I think we will win by 2 goals or more.

[Justin Chew]

I am quite optimistic about this game. Yes, complacency might hurt us big time, but this is not the team led by Cesc that included Nasri as well. I think we will win by 2 goals or more.

^This.

No whiners. Get the job done.

[Chris Chan]

I THINK it's next weekend.

I checked, it's 10 yellows before the 8th and we play on the 8th so we just need to 'rest' him this weekend

[Vanig Bostanian]

He shouldn't play today. He really shouldn't. If Djourou can't handle QPR players, then he doesn't deserve to be in our team.

[Sami Rockfeller]

Team: Szcz, Sagna, Kos, Verm, Gibbs, Rosicky, Ramsey, Song, Arteta, Walcott, RVP.
Subs: Fab, AOC, Djourou, Gerv, Chamakh, Yossi, Santos.

Ramsey on the left wing again.

[ralph avedikian]

So fucking annoying!

[Sami Rockfeller]

Gervinho has been doing his defensive duties very well and he would absolutely tear apart their defense. Can't understand Ramsey's inclusion.

[Stephen Mitchell]

Gervinho has been doing his defensive duties very well and he would absolutely tear apart their defense. Can't understand Ramsey's inclusion.

Ramsey's inclusion is standard Wenger away-day tactics. He wants to make sure we keep hold of the ball and dominate possession. Whether it's the right call or not is another matter, but he's being doing this for years (ie. playing 5 in midfield in CL away games back in 2006).

[Vanig Bostanian]

Y U NO PLAY AOC or Gerv on the left Wenger?

[Sami Rockfeller]

Gervinho has been doing his defensive duties very well and he would absolutely tear apart their defense. Can't understand Ramsey's inclusion.

Ramsey's inclusion is standard Wenger away-day tactics. He wants to make sure we keep hold of the ball and dominate possession. Whether it's the right call or not is another matter, but he's being doing this for years (ie. playing 5 in midfield in CL away games back in 2006).

Shouldn't we be looking to dominate the wings when so many of our goals have come from there?

[vyom.chaudhary]

in asia match is live only in india after petition from arsenal fans.rest of asia espn is showing man city game.
awesome:)

[Matej Tomas]

Any links?

[Elisabeth Studentschnig]

does anyone have a link where the pixels are not the size of tennis balls?

[Justin Chew]

Rvp please Do what arteta did

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