Queens Park Rangers vs Arsenal: Statistical Preview, Form Guide & Head-To-Head

Saturday’s evening game in the Premier League sees Queens Park Rangers host Arsenal in their first game since last weekend’s relegation.

A draw with Reading was enough to send both blue and white hooped sides back down to the Championship last weekend, a few weeks after Harry Redknapp’s side appeared to throw in the towel.

Arsenal’s draw with Manchester United on Sunday was fine in regards to them finishing in the top 4 this season. Tottenham’s draw with Wigan the previous days means that the Gunners are still in good shape for a Champions League finish. Should Chelsea not win at Old Trafford on Sunday, Arsenal would be guaranteed a top 4 spot by winning their final three games.

Here is a look how both teams fare statistically ahead of Saturday’s kick-off:

Form

Queens Park Rangers – DLLDLL

A poor run at the end of the season prevented Queens Park Rangers from getting out of the bottom three. The only two points they have picked up in their last six games came against the two fellow relegation-placed teams (Reading and Wigan), whilst recent defeats have included 2-0 at home to Stoke City, 3-2 at 10-man Fulham and 3-2 at relegation-fighting Aston Villa.

Queens Park Rangers are 275 minutes without a goal since Loic Remy’s wonder strike on the counter attack against Wigan Athletic at the start of April. That was one of just two games in the last eight that QPR have scored at Loftus Road.

Adel Taarabt’s only goal in his last 16 Premier League matches was a good strike just before half-time at Fulham. He has since been joined by Loic Remy as the club’s joint-top scorer with 5 goals this season. Remy’s 5 goals in 11 games is a good strike rate for a team that average just 0.83 goals per game this season – the lowest scorers in the Premier League.

Fulham and Sunderland are the only visitors to have lost at Loftus Road this season.

Arsenal – DWDWWW

Arsenal have won eight of their last 11 in the Premier League to give them a great chance of qualifying for next season’s Champions League. Theo Walcott’s early strike against Manchester United ended a two-game run without a goal for the Gunners. Their final three games come against sides currently in the bottom four.

James Morrison’s penalty is the only goal Arsenal have conceded in the last three away games. The defensive partnership of Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker appears to be working for Arsene Wenger’s side. Up front, Olivier Giroud is suspended meaning Lukas Podolski is likely to start in attack. The German is one goal shy of becoming the fourth Arsenal player to reach double figures in the league this season.

Nine of Santi Cazorla’s 12 goals this season have come against teams outside the current top nine. The Spaniard hasn’t scored in his last five though. Theo Walcott ended his eight-game run by scoring in the opening 2 minutes against Manchester United last weekend.

Norwich City (14th) and Swansea City (9th) are the only two sides outside of the top five to have beaten Arsenal this season.

Head-to-head

Since Queens Park Rangers’ promotion from the second tier in 2010/11, the home side have won all three Premier League meetings.

Mikel Arteta scored a dubious 84th minute winner in the 1-0 at the Emirates earlier this season. 5 minutes earlier QPR had been reduced to 10 men following the dismissal of Stephane Mbia. The win came three days after Arsenal’s 2-0 home loss to Schalke 04 in the group stage of the Champions League.

Queens Park Rangers were 2-1 winners in this fixture last season against a dismal Arsenal side. The two sides head into this match on different form and perhaps different mental states following the home side’s relegation last weekend.

Premier League stats

Absentees

Queens Park Rangers
DJ Campbell (injury)
Andrew Johnson (injury)
Shaun Wright-Phillips (injury)

Arsenal
Olivier Giroud (suspended)
Abou Diaby (injury)
Lukasz Fabianski (injury)

Written by Barrie