Summary
You could see it coming a mile off. Chelsea were underwhelming throughout, and scored with their only shot on target. Chelsea regain their seven-point lead at the top of the table, with a game in hand. It is also a massive plus for Mourinho that neither the goalscorer Fabregas or Matic were booked, which means that they will be available to face Manchester United and Arsenal, Chelsea’s next two fixtures.
QPR’s players worked hard – Hill, Onuoha and Barton were particularly impressive – but I can’t help feeling that with the players at their disposal, they are better off going all-out attack, a la Villa, rather than trying to play conservatively. QPR are two points short of Hull in 17th.
I don't care about the result. We made Chelsea look ordinary and had the better chances. We will bounce back. Proud of everyone.
— Tony Fernandes (@tonyfernandes) April 12, 2015
Tony you should care pal. Thanks for your emails and tweets, making a poor game bearable. See you next time! Bye!
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Full-time: QPR 0-1 Chelsea
Chelsea’s first win at Loftus Road since 1982. Terry is celebrating as though Chelsea have already won the title. Perhaps they have.
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93 min: Absolutely no pressure here from QPR. I think they call this ‘good game management’ nowadays from Chelsea. They are Mourinho-ing the living daylights out of this game expertly.
91 min: Two more late changes: Zouma on for Drogba for Chelsea, and Dunne on for Isla for QPR. Expect an aerial bombardment, then.
90 min: Three minutes added here.
Oh, and it all comes about because of a terrible kick from Rob Green. He woefully miscues, which allows Hazard to drive to the byline, play a neat one-two with Oscar, and cut the ball back for Fabregas who sends a first-time finish low underneath Green. The mask comes off, as Fabregas wheels away in delight, it’s a very well-taken goal actually. Mourinho gives a double-fist pump, Ramsey falls to his knees, with his head in his hands.
Chelsea have played awful, but they’ve found a way. Cue talk about not playing well, grinding out results, champions elect, blah blah blah.
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GOAL! QPR 0-1 Chelsea (Fabregas 88)
And there’s your 1-0 win.
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85 min: Kranjcar already looks knackered. QPR’s fans sing the name of their owner, Tony Fernandes. Chelsea fans, do you sing about Roman?
83 min: Zamora off, Hoilett on. Thank you.
82 min: Chance for Austin! He controls a Barton corner well, wriggles clear of Terry and hits a fierce shot goalwards, it is blocked by Cahill (with his arm?!) and Austin picks up the rebound but can only fire a mis-hit left-footed shot straight at Courtois, who gratefully clutches the ball to his chest.
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81 min: A couple of changes from both sides: Cuadrado is on for Willian. And QPR, who desperately need some pace in attack, bring on … Niko Kranjcar (for Sandro).
80 min: Hill seems to be struggling. Chris Ramsey will be loathe to take him off. It looks like the defender will continue.
78 min: The cards are coming thick and fast now, as fatigue sets in. Sandro catches Oscar and goes into the book. Terry and Cahill trundle up from the back, but it is headed behind for a corner. Fabregas swings it in but it is headed clear by Barton, who has been excellent today.
75 min: Zamora is booked for pulling back Azpilicueta, after he had lost the ball in a dangerous area to the Spaniard. As clearcut as you are ever likely to see. Zamora looks tired, he needs to be replaced for someone with a bit of pace. That would at least give QPR something to aim for on the counter-attack. Hoilett?
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73 min: It is increasingly looking like a back-against-the-walls job for QPR. They seem to be settling for a point, and who can blame them? Chelsea have spent the last 8-10 minutes camped in QPR’s half.
71 min: Kevin Porter emails in.
“Sky TV preposterously promote this game as an example as why the Barclay’s Premier is the World’s Number One League - the only one where a team from the bottom of the league could possibly compete with the one a top.
Three things wrong with that - 1. Parma beat Juventus this week, 2. Chelsea are playing very poorly down to QPR’s standard - not the other way around and nevertheless will still win 1-0 by the end. 3. The quality of this match is pants.”
69 min: Nothing much is happening. Mourinho is wearing a scarf, despite the fact that its 17 degrees.
67 min: QPR are dropping very deep but with Sandro and Barton patrolling the space in front of them, Chelsea are struggling for any kind of incision. Hazard and Willian have swapped wings, perhaps the Belgian will be able to isolate Hill on the right.
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64 min: What a chance for QPR! Austin and Zamora combine down the right: the former crossing low to catch Chelsea’s defence flat-footed. Phillips has his back to goal but is able to work some space and send a stinging shot goalwards from just eight yards out. Courtois gets a strong hand and turns it behind. Great save, but if you’re being hyper-critical, you might say that Phillips could have found the far corner a little better.
63 min: That said, Chelsea look at 742,892 times better now that Oscar is on the field.
61 min: Drogba is booked for a late challenge on Sandro from behind. A deserved yellow: the striker is cutting a frustrated figure out there.
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59 min: Chelsea corner. This time it’s delivered to the near post … Drogba gets a flick … Ivanovic surely … no! The Serbian can’t contort his body enough to reach the ball, which flies across the six-yard box and past him. A close shave for QPR.
56 min: Oscar is on for Ramires. Hopefully he can bring Chelsea to life, who have looked terrible going forward so far today.
“There is something faintly reassuring in the dour style Chelsea’s assumed in the last few weeks,” emails Rob Hobson. “Any Chelsea fans willing to confess to feeling a little awkward watching them tip-toeing around trying to pass it in earlier in the season? I preferred the other Mourinho Chelsea: as stifling as the Black Hole of Calcutta. There’s an inevitability about that Chelsea winning that surely takes the pressure off teams like Arsenal: Arsene gets to tell himself he wouldn’t compromise his principles, Mourinho gets the open-top bus, and everyone’s happy except the Gooners staring at another ticket price hike next year. Am I right?”
Yep.
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55 min: “There only one Joey Barton, one Jooooeeeey Baaaarton,” sing the QPR fans, as he leaves a foot in on Ivanovic.
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53 min: The pitch is very, very dry. It’s not exactly conducive to slick, attractive football.
51 min: Terry and Austin resume their hostilities, the latter catching Courtois a little late with a trailing leg, after the keeper had collected a Clint Hill pot-shot.
49 min: Ooooo the best chance of the match! Phillips gets free on the right and stands up to Azpilicueta, jinking left and right. He’s whips a cross/shot in from the right, which bounces just outside Courtois’s far post and perhaps a yard too far in front of the unmarked Zamora, who was loitering at the back post. He just needed to get a toe on it.
Great play from Phillips, he’s been in great form recently. Have a read of this piece on the winger by Jacob Steinberg, if you fancy.
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47 min: Matic slips in the middle of the pitch, allowing Sandro to pounce on the loose ball. He surges forward but with a lack of support, decides to check his run. He turns back, when many of the crowd would have liked him to make a beeline for goal.
Peeep! We’re underway again. No changes made at the break.
Kári Tulinius has been in touch, via the medium of email.
“As an Arsenal fan, I have conflicted feelings about today’s game. On the one hand, I would like QPR to win so that my team has a chance of lifting the trophy. On the other hand, it would be nice if Chelsea can quickly extinguish any hope I carry in my heart so that the inevitable disappointment won’t be too crushing.”
I’m looking forward to Arsenal surging to within touching distance of Chelsea, and then slumping to a 1-1 draw at home to West Brom in their final match of the season to hand Mourinho and co the title.
Half-time entertainment.
Here’s another indirect free-kick goal from Tito Vilanova (RIP) scoring against Barcelona. It’s a goodun.
Half-time: QPR v Chelsea
All square in this west London derby. It’s not been a classic, in all honesty.
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45 min: Chance for Fabregas! The ball is delivered from the right and misses everyone. The Spaniard steals in at the back post, but it bounces high at an awkward height, and Barton gives Fabregas a little nudge to put him off his far post header, which loops over the bar, from five yards out. Fabregas holds his head/mask in his hands. That was a chance!
44 min: Good save from Courtois! Austin collects a Zamora knockdown and has time to steady himself, before unleashing a shot from 25-yards out. The ball flies untouched through a body of bodies but Courtois does well to get across to his right. He must have seen that late.
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41 min: Ivanovic careers into Austin. Free-kick. Mourinho loses it on the sidelines. Shock.
39 min: Strange incident involving Austin and Terry: the latter thrown to the ground off the ball. Neither players make much of it to the referee.
Charlie Austin, he's one of our own. pic.twitter.com/cYv4O48xKV
— Chelsea Analysis (@ChelseaAnalysis) April 12, 2015
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37 min: Chelsea’s two central defender make a right pig’s ear of the next searching long ball from Barton: Cahill caught on his heels, slipping and sliding to just divert the ball away from Zamora, before Terry half-cleans up, slide tackling the ball behind for a corner. The ball is delivered into the near post, with Sandro flicking it on. A goal kick is given when it looked more like a corner. Hmmm.
Barton’s passes are optimistic, rather than pinpoint, but they seem to be causing Chelsea problems. Would be interesting to see what would happen if QPR had a bit more pace up top.
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34 min: Sandro is flying into tackles. And the earth continues to turn.
32 min: Chelsea have settled into a rhythm, although they are struggling to find those pockets of space in between midfield and attack that Hazard, Fabregas and Willian normally exploit. This hasn’t exactly been chance-a-minute stuff though people.
30 min: Hazard gets his first real run at QPR’s defence, which has so far coped quite well down the right, with Phillips giving Isla ample cover. Hazard cuts inside though, and finds Fabregas, then Drogba. The move fizzles out.
@michaelbutler18 Chelsea are likely to be even more reliant on Hazard than usual - no Costa or Oscar and Cuadrado has yet to make an impact
— Lee Madden (@dantedanger) April 12, 2015
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28 min: Hill crunches Willian, who is left limping. The Brazilian is getting a rough ride on that right-hand wing so far.
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26 min: A strange chance for Chelsea. Ivanovic catapults a throw into QPR’s box, aimed at Drogba, but the ball bounces before the striker, who is being closely marked by both Hill and Caulker, and bounces straight over the bar onto the top of the net without a touch.
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24 min: Courtois comes to claim a dangerous centre from Isla. He does that so well. Isn’t it nice when a keeper catches the ball, instead of punches it. Relieves the pressure so much more effectively.
22 min: QPR and Chelsea fans having their own little battle on the terraces.
“We know what you are” sing the home crowd.
“John Terry, he’s won more than you”, reply the Chelsea supporters.
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19 min: Chance for Caulker! But it’s magnificent defending from Ivanovic, who is just able to outmuscle the Englishman at the back post, following a Barton cross from the right. Caulker would surely have nodded in from a yard out if Ivanovic hadn’t got that touch.
17 min: Barton has made a great start, combative without the ball, streetwise with it. His central midfield partner, Sandro, puts a thundering challenge in on Fabregas on the edge of QPR’s box. Great tackle.
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15 min: Drogba and Caulker race to chase down a long ball. Drogba loses the race, because he is 37-years-old. He would have simply cantered over and shrugged the defender off there in days of yore.
I do enjoy an indirect free-kick goal, as a result of a backpass. My favourite you ask? This…
Do get in touch with your favourites/suggestions. Email michael.butler@theguardian.com or tweet me @michaelbutler18.
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11 min: Surely that was a backpass from Caulker! The QPR defender pokes the ball back to Green, who picks it up. Drogba and Willian appeal, but Marriner seems not the least bit interested. That was a definite backpass.
10 min: Zamora is allowed to turn and he pops a lofted through ball to Austin. It’s a straight foot race, but Courtois is alert and just gets ahead of Austin to poke clear, before receiving a boot in the chest for his troubles. He’s ok though.
8 min: Chelsea hit the post! Drogba outfoxes Onuoha to win a cheap corner, which is whipped into the back post toward Ivanovic. The Serbian turns the ball back across goal, but it is hacked clear. Willian dances on the touchline and crosses to the near post, catching Green off guard. It wasn’t intended as a shot but the ball strikes the post and rebounds out, cleared properly this time by Barton.
5 min: QPR have made an excellent start here. Barton in particular setting the tempo – he is keen to put Chelsea’s defence on their heels, dropping a couple of balls in behind Azpilicueta for Phillips to run onto. Phillips wins the ball, and squares the ball into the six-yard box … well collected by Courtois!
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2 min: Zamora latches onto a pass down the left and tries an audacious lob from a good 40-yards out. He doesn’t connect properly, but saw Courtois off his line there. Zamora scoring a lob? Courtois being caught in no-man’s land? Never…
1 min: Clint Hill wins his first header against Drogba. The Ivorian will be a handful today with his back to goal, but I’m sure QPR’s leaky defence would prefer to see the 37-year-old rather than Rémy.
Peeeeeep! And we’re off!
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The teams are out: QPR in their traditional blue and white hoops, Chelsea in their midnight blue third kit, Cesc Fabregas in a protective mask.
It’s a glorious day in west London, Roman Abramovich is in the stands looking like he might get sunburnt. Let’s do this!
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Eden Hazard will make his 100th Premier League appearance for Chelsea today. If anybody wins Premier League player of the year this season, you can blame Youssouf Mulumbu for getting his sheet all mixed up.
What do u think ?! @PFA #pfaawards pic.twitter.com/4btYRsM49o
— Youssouf Mulumbu (@mulumbuofficial) April 8, 2015
I get It wrong Hazard player Of The year And young player Kane !! Plus The fake wall @Gabs50Zakuani Best defender 😂😜😁😈#thegate#thedoor
— Youssouf Mulumbu (@mulumbuofficial) April 8, 2015
Something to keep an eye on …
Both Nemanja Matic and Cesc Fabregas of #CFC one booking away from a two-match suspension, taking in games against #AFC and #MUFC.
— Dominic Fifield (@domfifield) April 12, 2015
Chelsea are overwhelming favourites today, but the reality is that QPR will probably need to take something from the game. Their remaining fixtures are as follows … ouch!
West Ham (home)
Liverpool (away)
Man City (away)
Newcastle (home)
Leicester (away)
Rangers fans, if you had to win the last game of the season against Leicester in order to stay up, would you take that?
@michaelbutler18 We (QPR) have 3 very winnable games in our run-in: West Ham, Newcastle and Leicester. And I fancy our chances today.
— Roy Allen (@Roy_Allen) April 12, 2015
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Have a read of Paul Doyle’s preview piece, which includes this quote from Chelsea manager José Mourinho.
A derby’s a derby, with all the emotion that creates around it, so it’s true, it is harder for London teams to win the league,” says Mourinho, who claims he relishes such contests because they are what make the capital a special footballing city. “I would love Fulham to be in the Premier League. I want London clubs to stay in the Premier League. I don’t have that sense of rivalry. I think it’s a unique city in the football world with so many clubs. That makes it really difficult but nice.
It’s an interesting point José makes, that winning the league is harder in London. Certainly, derby matches induce special performances, but there are other factors at work as well, travel for example?
@michaelbutler18 as a concerned fantasy football player, considering Remy over the next few game weeks, is there a reason he is absent?
— Carlos (@Craicerjack) April 12, 2015
Loïc Rémy has a calf injury, which he picked up in training yesterday. With Diego Costa suffering with a hamstring trouble, the Frenchman was all set for an extended run in the side, and his goal last time out in the 2-1 win over Stoke would have surely cemented his berth here today against his former club. But it is not to be. Didier Drogba starts, could this be the last time we see him to do that for Chelsea?
Fabregas broke his nose in that Stoke match, but he’s soldiered on to take his place today. What a trooper.
QPR’s only change from their 3-3 draw at Aston Villa is Karl Henry coming in for Niko Kranjcar. Not entirely surprising that Chris Ramsey won’t be as enterprising going forward with Eden Hazard and Willian to think about, although it does mean that Henry will be playing on the wing. Ha.
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Today’s teams:
QPR (4-4-2): Green, Isla, Onuoha, Caulker, Hill, Phillips, Barton, Sandro, Henry, Austin, Zamora.
Subs: Traore, McCarthy, Kranjcar, Dunne, Hoilett, Grego-Cox, Comley.
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Courtois, Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta, Ramires, Matic, Willian, Fabregas, Hazard, Drogba.
Subs: Cech, Luis, Zouma, Oscar, Mikel, Cuadrado, Brown.
Referee: Andre Marriner (W Midlands)
Preamble
Go to any home QPR match at Loftus Road, and whoever the Hooped ones are playing, anti-Chelsea chants will echo round the ground. “We are the Chelsea haters”, “Stick the blue fans up your arse” sing many of the Rangers’ faithful.
It is a rivalry born out of proximity – Loftus Road lying less than four miles from Stamford Bridge. No other part of London has so many clubs penned in together, with Fulham and Brentford also just a couple of miles down the road. Neighbourhoods and families are often split down the middle, which means that there are no clear battle lines.
There have been incidents that have intensified the rivalry between QPR and Chelsea in recent years – the John Terry-Anton Ferdinand affair in 2011, the 23 arrests and hospitalisation of 61-year-old Chelsea fan when the two sets of supporters clashed in 2008, and of course, then-QPR keeper Julio Cesar wearing a Chelsea kit at David Luiz’s birthday party in 2013 – and both teams have an awful lot to play for today at the opposite ends of the Premier League.
What people might forget about the Terry-Ferdinand match is that QPR actually won 1-0, a result which helped them finish one point above the relegation zone at the end of the 2011/12 season. How Rangers would love a repeat result today: a win here would lift them out of the drop zone at the expense of Hull City, and put a serious dent in Chelsea’s title charge.
Kick off: 1.30pm BST
