West Ham United will face one of the Championship’s more stubborn early-season opponents when Queens Park Rangers visit London Stadium.
QPR enter the international break sixth after taking 13 points from eight matches, losing only once and conceding seven goals.
That means Nuno Espírito Santo’s side should not expect obvious defensive weaknesses when Championship football resumes on Friday 9 October.
There are, however, areas West Ham can target.
1. Test QPR’s reshuffled left side
The clearest opportunity has been created by suspension rather than a long-term tactical weakness.
Dennis Cirkin will miss the trip to London Stadium after QPR failed to overturn the red card he received against Preston North End.
Our QPR suspension update explains why the left-back is unavailable against West Ham.
Sky Sports’ record of the Preston game confirms Cirkin was dismissed after only 15 minutes.
That forces Julien Stéphan to alter a defence that has otherwise started the Championship season well.
For West Ham, the obvious question is whether Jarrod Bowen can repeatedly attack that side.
Bowen’s ability to receive wide before driving inside could force QPR’s replacement left-back to defend one-against-one, while Kyle Walker-Peters can provide an overlapping option outside him.
West Ham should look to test that new combination early rather than allowing QPR’s back line to settle.
2. Make QPR create through sustained possession
QPR have shown they can compete without dominating the ball.
Their 1-1 draw at West Brom provides a useful example.
FotMob’s match data records QPR with only 36 per cent possession, four shots and 0.62 expected goals at The Hawthorns.
Across the season, QPR also rank in the lower half of the division for average possession and average only around 2.9 possessions won in the attacking third per game.
That does not make them a poor side.
It suggests West Ham may be better served controlling territory and forcing QPR to construct attacks against an organised block rather than giving them space to attack transitions.
Nuno will have to solve his own midfield selection problem because Mohamadou Kanté is suspended.
Our analysis of how West Ham could replace Kanté against QPR examines the alternatives available.
Whoever starts must help West Ham control second balls and prevent QPR turning broken possession into quick attacks.
That issue became particularly obvious against Millwall, when our analysis showed West Ham struggled with direct balls and second phases.
3. Use West Ham’s set-piece strength against a strong defence
West Ham should not approach QPR believing set pieces are an established Rangers weakness.
The numbers suggest the opposite.
FotMob’s Championship team statistics currently credit QPR with only 0.7 goals conceded per match and just one goal conceded from a set piece.
Their overall expected goals against figure is also among the better records in the division.
That makes this a strength-against-strength battle.
West Ham have already scored six set-piece goals in the Championship, while Konstantinos Mavropanos has emerged as a major penalty-area threat.
Rather than relying solely on the first delivery, West Ham should look to sustain attacks after corners and free-kicks, recover second balls and force QPR to defend repeated crosses.
Mavropanos, Max Kilman and Tomáš Souček give Nuno considerable aerial presence.
Patience is likely to be important.
QPR have conceded only seven goals in eight league games and sit sixth in the current Championship table.
West Ham are therefore facing a well-organised opponent rather than a team with three obvious structural flaws.
The opportunity comes from forcing QPR into situations they would rather avoid: defending a reshuffled left side, building attacks against sustained West Ham pressure and repeatedly dealing with one of the Championship’s strongest set-piece threats.
Supporters can find the date, kick-off time and broadcast information in our West Ham vs QPR TV and live-stream guide, while our West Ham vs QPR head-to-head guide covers the previous 62 meetings between the clubs.
