Club News

STAT PACK: QPR v Albion

Facts and figures ahead of Saturday's clash with the R's (ko 3pm)

WEST London and QPR await Albion this weekend and once again football statistics website WhoScored.com are here to crunch the numbers as we gear up for the game.

A deserved 1-0 win for the Baggies over neighbours Villa last time out gave Alan Irvine's men a boost ahead of the busy Christmas schedule, and with two consecutive clean sheets - after the goalless draw at Hull - the team are looking good both in defence and attack.

Craig Gardner's first goal of the season was the difference for a dominant Albion at The Hawthorns as Villa struggled to break through a stern home backline. Organised and compact, the visitors were largely restricted to efforts from range as WhoScored.com’s match report shows, with 57% of their attempts being made from outside the area. 

QPR boast a good home record this season but Albion should not be fearful having impressed on the road themselves. 

They have won two and drawn one of their last five away Barclays Premier League matches, with the two defeats coming narrowly to Liverpool and at league leaders Chelsea, who boast an unblemished record of eight wins from eight on home soil.

The home side may potentially dominate the ball at Loftus Road but Albion have proved they can cope should that happen. 

In victories at Tottenham and Leicester, Irvine has set his team up to be impenetrable and it has worked to great effect, keeping clean sheets in both and coming away with 1-0 victories.

According to WhoScored.com's statistically calculated characteristics for the London club, their biggest weakness is 'defending counter-attacks'.

With pace going forward provided by the likes of Stephane Sessegnon and Silvestre Varela, Albion can certainly be a threat in this regard. 

Varela made his full league debut against Villa and, after an impressive showing in which he recorded a WhoScored rating of 6.96, he will again be a significant attacking outlet for the Baggies should he feature.

The heat map of his touches highlights the attacking areas that he occupies and he will again look to be a threat to the opposition.

Having won three, drawn two and lost only one of their last six trips to Loftus Road, there is every chance Albion can go to the capital this weekend and return with another positive result. 

They have scored at least once in each of those games and if their defence performs as it has in recent matches there is every reason to believe another clean sheet could be on the cards too.

*WhoScored.com is a unique website and one of the fastest growing in the sports industry, specialising in the in-depth analysis of detailed football data. Provided with unique stats, they compile and create comprehensive analysis on the major European divisions, including live match stats and player ratings. Follow @WhoScored and their editor-in-chief @alitweedale on Twitter.

Interesting facts

Albion clinched the 2007/08 Championship title on the final day of the season at Loftus Road. Kim Do-Heon and Chris Brunt were both on the scoresheet as the Baggies ran out 2-0 winners.

This will be the third season in a row when both sides have been in the Barclays Premier League that this fixture has been played in December.

QPR defeated Albion 3-2 in the 1967 League Cup final, the first to be played at Wembley. Albion went into the final as holders of the trophy.

The first-ever meeting between the two sides was in the old Second Division on Saturday, November 6, 1948. The Baggies won 2-0 in the capital.

Albion have won the last three Barclays Premier League matches against QPR.

We said, they said

We said – Alan Irvine: “QPR are doing extremely well at Loftus Road. We are going to have to deal with the threats they pose.”

They said – Harry Redknapp: “We are expecting a tough game, they can be dangerous. They have good attacking players.”

Most recent encounters at Loftus Road

QPR 1-1 Albion (5/1/13) FA Cup

QPR 1-2 Albion (26/12/12) Barclays Premier League

QPR 1-1 Albion (3/12/11) Barclays Premier League

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