Premier League: Swansea v QPR match preview

A look ahead to this weekend’s Premier League fixture at the Liberty Stadium

Forget the ballboy farce, the Swansea manager Michael Laudrup deserves the headlines for beating Chelsea and taking his team to the Capital One Cup final at Wembley (AFP)

League Cup semi-finalists Swansea City entertain relegation strugglers Queens Park Rangers on Saturday, with Michael Laudrup’s side flying high in eighth. The Dane will be looking for a repeat of the opening day 5-0 drubbing that his team dished out to QPR, though the Loftus Road outfit arrive with Harry Redknapp desperate to get them off the foot of the table.

Redknapp has seen the Londoner’s through a five-game unbeaten run in the league, but he will be eager to secure one of the many victories that they’ll need if they are to fulfil their dream of staying up. Despite the one-sided result at the beginning of the season, QPR fans will have a certain optimism that has seen them pick up seven points in their last five games.

Swansea have failed to score in five of their last six games – a sign that players heads may be turning to their trip to Wembley when they face Bradford City in a fortnight's time. Between now and then they also face Liverpool – the side above them in seventh – and Laudrup may feel the need to rotate his squad against QPR if they are to triumph on the big stage.

KICK-OFF: Saturday, 3pm.

PAST MEETINGS...

QPR 0 Swansea 5 (Michu 2, Dyer 2, Sinclair), Premier League, August 2012.

QPR 3 (Barton, Mackie, Buzsaky) Swansea 0, Premier Leeague, April 2012.

Swansea 1 (Graham) QPR 1 (Mackie), Premier League, December 2011.

STATS...

Swansea have scored just once in their last 6 games, a 3-1 win over Stoke, which is also their only win.

Summer signing Michu has 13 league goals this season, and 16 in all competitions, putting him 4 in the league goal-scorers table.

QPR are 6 points from safety, and have 4 points less than they did at this point last season.

QPR have won just once in 12 away games this season, and twice in a total of 25 games.

Striker Loic Remy was the first QPR player to score on his Premier League debut since Danny Dichio in 1994.

ODDS...

Swansea to win: 1.87

QPR to win: 4.9

Draw: 3.75

TV: Highlights on BBC1 at 10.20pm.