Premier League: QPR v Manchester United preview

A look ahead to this weekend’s fixture at Loftus Road

Julio Cesar performed heroics in the QPR goal (Getty Images)

Manchester United will be hoping to extend their lead over city rivals Manchester City to 15 points before Roberto Mancini’s side host Chelsea a day later. Sir Alex Ferguson’s side, whose last away trip was in west London against Fulham, boast the best away record in the league: winning nine of their 13 games so far and scoring 28 goals, only failing to score in their only two defeats at Everton and Norwich, both slender 1-0 wins for the home side.

QPR, who are on a run of five games without victory at home – stretching back to their 2-1 win over Fulham last December, their first under Harry Redknapp – know anything less than a win won’t do. They are currently rooted to the bottom and 8 points adrift of safety.

Kick-off: Saturday, 3pm

Past three meetings…

Manchester United 3 (Evans, Fletcher, Hernández) QPR 1 (Mackie), Premier League, November 2012.

Manchester United 2 (Rooney, Scholes) QPR 0, Premier League, April 2012.

QPR 0 Manchester United 2 (Rooney, Carrick), Premier League, December 2011.

Stats…

QPR have not beaten Manchester, home or away, since December 1991, a 4-1 victory at Old Trafford.

Manchester United’s last defeat in the capital was 9 games ago: a 1-0 defeat to Arsenal in May 2011.

In that time Manchester United’s record in London reads: 7 wins and 2 draws scoring 24 goals and conceding 11.

Queens Park Rangers have failed to score in their last 4 home matches in the Premier League. Their last was courtesy of Djibril Cissé in a 2-1 defeat against West Brom. However they’ve kept a clean sheet in their last three games.

Manchester United have scored at least 2 goals in 20 of their last 25 matches in the Premier League.

Queens Park Rangers have failed to win 25 of their last 27 matches in the Premier League.

Odds…

QPR to win: 7.0

Manchester United to win: 1.5

Draw: 1.93

TV: Highlights on BBC1 at 10.20pm