Thursday, March 28, 2024

Premier League preview: Sunderland v QPR

Ahead of Saturday’s trip to face Sunderland, Queens Park Rangers have renewed hope of escaping relegation from the English Premier League.

Faced with the toughest end-of-season run-in of any relegation-threatened team, many observers deemed QPR, promoted as Championship winners last term, a certainty to make an instant return to the second tier.

In a bid to avoid the drop, the club sacked Neil Warnock in January, bringing in former Manchester City manager Mark Hughes as his replacement.

Welshman Hughes managed a 3-1 win over Wigan Athletic during his third game in charge, but subsequently went seven matches in all competitions without a victory, losing five times.

With fixtures against Arsenal, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Manchester City still to come, the outlook appears bleak for the west London outfit.

But they sprung a surprise on Wednesday, coming from two goals down to beat Liverpool 3-2 at Loftus Road.

That unlikely result is the boost Hughes and his players required to convince them they still have a chance of mounting an escape.

Up next is a trip to face Sunderland, who have endured a form slump in recent weeks.

Under Martin O’Neill, who took charge of the team in December, Sunderland embarked on a impressive run of seven league wins in 10 matches, while also knocking Arsenal out of the FA Cup.

Their luck finally ran out with a league defeat to Arsenal in the very next game, and they have subsequently managed just one win from five attempts in all competitions.

That lone victory came at home to Liverpool earlier this month, but they have also drawn with Newcastle in the league and Everton in the FA Cup, while losing to West Brom and Blackburn.

Sunderland have been without fullback Kieran Richardson (calf) and centre-back Wes Brown (knee), but can expect the defensive pair to be in contention for a return against QPR.

Hughes will hope to recall strikers Federico Macheda (ankle) and DJ Campbell (hamstring), as well as centre-back Fitz Hall and forward Heidar Helguson (groin), in the coming weeks.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

SoccerNews

Soccernews.com is news blog for soccer with comprehensive coverage of all the major leagues in Europe, as well as MLS in the United States. In addition we offer breaking news for transfers and transfer rumors, ticket sales, betting tips and offers, match previews, and in-depth editorials.

You can follow us on Facebook: Facebook.com/soccernews.com or Twitter: @soccernewsfeed.

SHARE OR COMMENT ON THIS ARTICLE

WE RECOMMEND

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This field is required *

Join the conversation!

or Register

Live Scores

advertisement

Betting Guide Advertisement

advertisement

Become a Writer
More More
Top