QPR v West Ham preview: Chris Ramsey's side's fight for survival continues

Queens Park Rangers' fight against Premier League relegation continues when they host West Ham at Loftus Road.

Chris Ramsey's side are two points adrift of safety but have the opportunity to close that gap against a West Ham side without a win in nine away league games.

It was QPR's home form which kept them in touch at the start of the season but since the turn of the year they have failed to pick up a win in front of their home fans.

They will hope to change that against an out-of-form West Ham, however, they have struggled against all their London rivals this season, winning just one point in nine Premier League London derbies.

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Team news

Ramsey will make a late decision on whether to risk Leroy Fer for the visit of West Ham.

Fer is close to overcoming a knee injury that has kept him out since February, while Yun Suk-young is also available having recovered from concussion.

Richard Dunne is fit again after returning from a knee injury but Rio Ferdinand (knock), Eduardo Vargas and Alejandro Faurlin (both knee) remain sidelined.

West Ham will be unable to welcome back any of their injured players for the trip across London to relegation-threatened QPR.

Sam Allardyce's Hammers have won just once in their last 12 games and are still without James Tomkins (shoulder), Andy Carroll (knee) and Diafra Sakho (thigh).

Meanwhile, a calf injury picked up by full-back Guy Demel has also left Allardyce short of options in defence.

Opta facts

Queens Park Rangers have allowed more shots on target against them than any other team in the Premier League (181).

West Ham have lost a league-high seven points with goals conceded in the 90th minute or later.

QPR have conceded the first goal on 24 occasions in the Premier League this season; more often than any other side.

27 Players have started a Premier League game for QPR this season; more than at any other club.

Charlie Austin has had a hand in the highest proportion of his sides’ goals in the Premier League this season (55%).

The Hammers have scored just nine goals in nine Premier League London derbies in 2014-15.

Matt Phillips has been involved in nine goals (two goals & seven assists) in his last nine PL appearances.

Merson's prediction

I think it’s a must-win game for QPR. You can turn the floodlights off if they don’t win this game. It’s their cup final. You can’t keep on going ‘oh, next week, next week’ – it has to be this week.  

You look at West Ham and think ‘when are they ever going to win another football match?’ QPR were unlucky against Chelsea in their last game, so I’m going for a narrow home victory here.

PAUL PREDICTS: 2-1 (Sky Bet odds 8/1)

Betting

Sky Bet make QPR 13/10 to boost their waning survival hopes with a victory on Saturday, as Aston Villa are priced up as 2/1 outsiders with the draw 12/5.

The Hoops head into the clash as 1/7 favourites for relegation, with Saturday’s clash rated one of their most winnable remaining fixtures.

Charlie Austin is deemed their most likely hope of salvation as 11/2 favourite in the first goalscorer betting and 21/10 to net in a home win, while Diafra Sakho is considered the visitors’ biggest threat at 6/1 to break the deadlock.

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