Manchester City fell further behind in the Premier League title race this afternoon as they only managed a 2-2 draw against struggling Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road.
The hosts took the lead through a tidy Charlie Austin finish, but Sergio Aguero responded for City with a magnificent piece of control and finish to level things up.
Austin's cross caused Martin Demichelis to turn the ball into his own net in the second half, but once again Aguero saved the day with his 12th goal of the season.
You can read how an enthralling 90 minutes of non-stop action unfolded courtesy of Sports Mole's live minute-by-minute coverage below.
Right, that is all we have time for this evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for what was a thoroughly entertaining clash between QPR and Man City at Loftus Road. Both sides emerged with a point following a cracking game that saw Aguero twice save his side from behind. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction, analysis and player ratings. From me, though, it is goodbye for now!
The opening goal came from Charlie Austin after he had seen tow previous efforts disallowed, but Sergio Aguero responded with a superb finish to level the sides. In the second half, Martin Demichelis turned the ball into his own net to restore QPR's lead, but once again Aguero came to City's rescue with a fine goal to ensure that the spoils were shared.
What an incredible game of football that was. It is honours even at Loftus Road as QPR pick up their eighth point of the season against Manchester City, who have now won just one of their last six games in all competitions. The gap to Chelsea is now eight points for Pellegrini's side, and they can't afford to let it grow much bigger.
City are controlling possession in these closing stages as they probe for a way through the QPR defence. It would be heartbreaking for the hosts if they were to throw this one away now, they have performed very well today.
Superb defending from Barton as he throws himself in the way of a Toure strike to make a vital block. Milner did well to find his stand-in skipper, but Barton was quick to react to the danger.
The fourth official indicates a minimum of four minutes added time at the end of this enthralling match.
Another sight of goal for the hosts as Austin gets onto the end of an outswinging corner. He is heading away from goal, which makes his job more difficult, and he steers his effort a couple of yards wide.
You just get the feeling that there will be another chance in this one. It has been a superb game so far, and it isn't over yet. Time is running out for City to get the winner, though, while QPR may settle for a point considering what happened against Liverpool recently.
CHANCE! QPR almost shoot themselves in the foot here as Caulker leaves a ball over the top, allowing Navas to race in behind. The defender gets there first and nods it back towards Green, who just about beats the Spanish winger to the ball.
Aguero comes to City's rescue once again here! Toure is the man who plays the long ball forward this time, and again Aguero has got in behind the defence. He takes it down well once more before beating Green and showing great composure to cut back and fire a shot past the three defenders on the line. Another cracking finish from the Argentine.
CLOSE! Again City come close as the resulting corner is not fully cleared by the hosts. Sagna drills an effort back into the middle, but Mangala's flick is narrowly wide of the post.
OFF THE LINE! Once again QPR are forced into a clearance off the line! This time it is Milner who threatens, looping his header towards the far corner, when Caulker is waiting to nod it away from underneath his own crossbar. Moments later Green is forced into making a save from Toure, while Milner then fires a great chance wide of the mark. It's all happening here!
CLOSE! What an effort this is from Vargas. The ball is lifted into the middle for the winger, who unleashes an acrobatic effort from the edge of the box. His bicycle kick flies a yard or so past the near post, but it was a superb try.
OFF THE LINE! City almost hit right back as QPR are so nearly architects of their own downfall. A poor kick from Green loops high up towards the halfway line, and Barton inexplicably tries to nod it back to his keeper. Aguero is lurking beyond the last man and gets to the ball before Green, taking it past the keeper. However, Dunne gets back to make the block on the line as Aguero looked to slide the finish home.
QPR are back in front! Barton and Vargas link up in midfield before the latter finds Austin out on the right wing. The striker swings a beauty of a cross into the middle and Zamora does really well to attack it and get in front of Demichelis. The striker doesn't connect, but his run is enough to force Demichelis to slice it into his own net!
MANCHESTER CITY SUB: The visitors make another change, their final one of the evening, as James Milner replaces Nasri.
Good football from QPR as they move from side to side while also edging further into the City final third. Vargas finds Isla down the right flank, but the full-back's good cross is well dealt with.
Good football from QPR as they move from side to side while also edging further into the City final third. Vargas finds Isla down the right flank, but the full-back's good cross is well dealt with.
The game has hit a relative lull in the last few minutes, although you still can't take your eyes off it. It is perfectly poised going into the final 20 minutes, with both sides still in with a shout of winning this one.
MANCHESTER CITY SUB: Having come onto the field less than five minutes ago, Dzeko appears to have picked up an injury and limps off to be replaced by Frank Lampard, who is returning from an injury of his own.
CHANCE! Another sight of goal for the hosts as Barton whips the ball into the box for Vargas, who controls it well on his chest. However, he can't properly connect with his effort and it is easy for Hart to gather.
MANCHESTER CITY SUB: The visitors make their first change of the evening as Edin Dzeko replaces Fernandinho. Attacking sub from Pellegrini.
CLOSE! Almost a remarkable goal for the hosts as Barton again plays a superb pass down the right. The cross drops for Vargas at the back post, and his first-time volley strikes Caulker and almost deflects in.
Great defending from Fernando as QPR threaten to regain their lead. Barton clips a peach of a pass through for Austin, who in turn puts it in the middle for an unmarked Zamora. However, Fernando gets back to make a vital interception.
QPR are spending a lot of their time chasing the ball right now, They need to get themselves back in possession and keep the ball for a while, as City have had 64% of it in the last 10 minutes.
City enjoy a couple of good spells of possession here, knocking the ball about nicely with Nasri starting to pull the strings. They are looking the more threatening of the two sides right now.
This really has been a cracking match, and the tempo has not slowed at all in the second half so far. Both teams are playing some good football and committing plenty of men forward, while the conditions are also playing a part in the entertainment.
YELLOW CARD! Sagna is caught in possession by Fer and then brings the QPR midfielder down to prevent him racing clear. The referee shows him a yellow card as a result, and he can have no complaints.
Good recovery from Mangala as Austin looks to have got past him with a good piece of control on his chest. However, the City defender just about gets his foot in and knocks it behind for a corner, which comes to nothing.
CHANCE! Big chance for City to take the lead as Toure strides forward down the right flank before playing an inviting low ball across the box. QPR dare not touch it for fear of an own goal, while Aguero at the back post can't reach it. The Argentine could have slid in for that one and turned it into the empty net!
Barton is back, ladies and gentleman. The half-time sub flies into a crunching challenge on Fernandinho in midfield that Mike Dean surprisingly lets go. That was a dangerous one, and he could have been looking at a card there.
CHANCE! From the resulting corner, Caulker shows good strength to hold off Mangala and get his head to the ball at the back post. However, he can't steer his header on target, putting it just wide of the mark.
CLOSE! Qpr come close this time as the ball is cut back to Fer on the edge of the box, and his mis-hit effort deflects off Demichelis and spins narrowly wide of the target.
This is end-to-end stuff at the start of this second half. At one end Zamora and Austin link up well to almost create a chance, but then City break through Aguero. He slides a reverse pass to Nasri, who puts a teasing ball right across the face of goal. There is no-one there to turn it home, however.
City immediately come forward and almost take the lead within a minute as the ball is played into a dangerous area inside the QPR six-yard box. Aguero is in close attendance, but Isla does brilliantly to make the clearance.
KICKOFF: QPR get us back underway for the second half, and if it is half as good as the first then we are in for a treat!
QPR SUB: The hosts have been forced into a change at the break, with Sandro making way for Joey Barton.
Austin and Hart have been involved in a brilliant min-duel throughout, with the striker having beaten the goalkeeper three times, although only one has counted. Hart has also made a number of really good saves to deny Austin, and that individual battle could well have a telling impact on the final result.
It certainly hasn't been an easy game for the officials so far. There was a question of offside for the opening goal, while Aguero's finish included a handball and another potential offside. Both were very tough ones for the officials to see, however, and nothing should be taken away from what was a cracking finish from the Argentine.
The major moment of controversy in the first half surrounded Austin's second disallowed goal, as Hart hit the ball twice from a free kick, gifting the QPR striker possession. Austin made no mistake as he slammed his effort in from the edge of the area, but Mike Dean was quick to disallow the goal due to Hart's double touch. It was a lucky escape for the keeper, but ultimately the correct decision was made.
The opening goal came from Charlie Austin, who found the back of the net twice before he had one allowed by the referee. His legal goal saw him fire a magnificent finish into the bottom corner following good play from Isla, but that was cancelled out by a moment of magic from Aguero, who took down long ball inside the area before firing it past Green.
Well, what an eventful half of football that was! Mike Dean has been very much in the spotlight, and he blows to signal an end to a thoroughly entertaining 45 minutes that has brought a goal apiece for QPR and Manchester City. It is set up very nicely or a thrilling second half here, with both side still very much in with a chance of winning this game.
YELLOW CARDS! Yet another yellow card from Mike Dean as he flashes one to Vargas, who can have no complaints. Moments later, Nasri is also cautioned.
...but Vargas's strike is straight into the wall. The ball bounces back out to him, but his second strike is also well blocked. The wall did its job there!
There will be a minimum of two minutes added time at the end of this first half. Meanwhile, QPR have a free kick in a very promising position...
CHANCE! The hosts have a great chance to regain the lead just before the break! It is lovely football down the right flank, but QPR are helped out by a poor piece of play from Fernando, who let the ball slip under his foot. Austin is quick to pounce, but his powerful effort is beaten away by Hart. Moments later Hart thwarts Austin again from point-blank range, but the striker was offside anyway.
Half a chance for City as Fernando hooks a cleared free kick back into the middle. Mangala has been left alone in the box, but Austin recovers in time to put him under enough pressure that he puts a tame header wide.
YELLOW CARD! Another booking goes the way of QPR, this time Dunne being shown the yellow card for a foul on Nasri.
City have improved a lot since that goal, which seems to have had the double benefit of raising their own confidence and knocking QPR's. The visitors are on top right now, and QPR will be happy to reach the interval still at 1-1 the way things are going.
SHOT! It is Toure who goes for goal, but it is a disappointing effort from the midfielder, who curls it over the crossbar.
YELLOW CARD! Isla becomes the second name in the book for a foul on Aguero right on the edge of the box. Again, it is a correct card, but City players have got away with a couple of them.
CHANCE! That goal has really changed things here. Aguero has another chance as Navas again comes down the right before pulling a low ball into the box. The goalscorer doesn't catch it properly this time, however, and Green is able to make the save, albeit an unconvincing one.
CLOSE! City look for a quick-fire second as Navas leads the charge down the right. His ball across the box is just too heavy for Aguero, who collects it at the back post before cutting back inside. It is eventually worked back to Toure, who steers a cushioned effort a couple of yards past the post.
Oh my word, what a goal this is from Aguero. Mangala floats a ball over the top for the Argentine, who brings the ball down beautifully inside the box, He flicks it inside before switching back out again and firing an effort past Green. QPR want a handball and it did strike Aguero's arm, but take nothing away from the finish. Incredible.
Poor from Mangala as he just about evades the attention of Austin before carelessly gifting the ball away with what should have been a simple pass. City really are looking shaky at the back right now.
Better from City in the last few minutes as they have taken the sting out of the game, getting themselves on the ball and quietening the crowd down. That is exactly what they needed to do as they were on the ropes a little here.
CLOSE! Toure looks to provide a moment of inspiration to drag his side back into this one, and he is a whisker away from doing so. He cuts inside onto his left foot and curls a powerful strike towards the top corner, but it flies narrowly over. Superb effort from the stand-in skipper.
Well, if you didn't know the table before you watched this match then you would guess QPR were third and City were down in the relegation zone. The hosts have been by far the better team, and this is about as good as Redknapp will have seen them play under his tenure.
Incredibly, 28% of the game has been played in City's third so far, compared to just 5% in QPR's. The hosts have dominated this one so far, and City are shaken right now. QPR are pushing for another.
Austin has the ball in the back of the net for the third time tonight, and this time it does count! It is nice play down the right from QPR as Clichy slips, allowing Isla to cruise inside and slip a pass to Austin. He has just about beaten the offside trap and has time to control it and tuck a very neat finish into the bottom corner.
YELLOW CARD! Having let Nasri and Clichy off without a yellow card for poor sliding challenges, Mike Dean doesn't give Sandro the same leniency. It is certainly a bookable offence, but it isn't very consistent from the referee.
Refereeing decisions have not gone QPR's way so far, but Redknapp will be delighted with how his side have responded to the opening five minutes or so. He may have been dreading what was to come following City's fast start, but they have been the better side for the last 10 minutes or so.
PENALTY SHOUT! Another big call for Mike Dean to make as the ball appears to hit Mangala on the arm inside the area. It was a close one that could have gone either way, but it's safe to say that the referee is not the most popular man inside Loftus Road right now.
CHANCE! What a chance for QPR to take the lead! Zamora causes a nuisance of himself at a free kick and gets the wrong side of Mangala to knock the ball inside. Austin is there to pounce on the loose ball, but Hart makes an incredible stop from close range.
The fans are once again angered by Mike Dean as he fails to produce a card for a poor Clichy challenge. The conditions perhaps made it look worse than it was.
The fans are still not happy with that second disallowed goal, but technically Mike Dean has got it right. It was a very strange situation, the like of which I haven't seen before, but Mike Dean did well to spot it.
That has really lifted the spirits of the QPR fans. Their side had to weather an early storm but they are playing with confidence now and beginning to look dangerous. Much better from the hosts.
DISALLOWED GOAL! Huge controversy here as Austin again has the ball in the back of the net, and again it is disallowed. Hart was taking the free kick from the previous offside and hit it with his left foot before his right foot. That sees the ball fall to Austin, who finishes with aplomb from 20 yards. However, the free kick was not a legal one as Hart hit it twice in a row, so he will get a chance to retake it! Hart got away with one there!
DISALLOWED GOAL! QPR think that they have taken the lead with their first attack of the game, but Austin's header is correctly ruled out for offside. He was stood a couple of yards off there.
This has been a really promising start to the match for City, who have taken control of proceedings straight away here. QPR are being forced into a lot of defending early on, but the pressure is momentarily relieved as Toure fires an effort well over the crossbar.
SHOT! Aguero again looks to threaten as he carries the ball across the field before unleashing a powerful effort from around 20 yards. His shot goes over the top, but it was worth a go despite Navas being in support.
Aguero gets in behind the QPR defence for the first time tonight having been played onside by Yoon. The striker cuts the ball back for Nasri having been driven too wide for a shot, but Dunne gets a good block in.
Solid start to the match from the visitors as they take control of the ball early on, testing the QPR defence in the opening exchanges.
KICKOFF: City get us underway here as they look to reduce the gap on Chelsea back to six points, while QPR look to climb out of the bottom three.
The silence for Remembrance Sunday is punctuated by a couple of shouts from the stands, which is never good to hear. We're just about ready to go here in London, where is has begun to rain in the last few moments.
Unsurprisingly, City dominate the recent history between these two sides, winning four and losing none of their last five meetings. However, they were unable to pick up maximum points on their last visit as the R's held the champions to a goalless draw in January of last year.
This stadium obviously holds special memories for Manchester City fans, who saw their side win the Premier League title here in the most dramatic of fashion two years ago. Aguero scored the winner on that occasion and, the form he is in when it comes to league form, you wouldn't bet against him doing it again today.
We were all in agreement on the Sports Mole Sofa regarding this contest. It might get a little nervy for the champions if they are not clearly ahead in the closing stages, but a City win is the call all round. Have a look at what we had to say below:
PREDICTION: We're 10 minutes from kickoff at Loftus Road, which means that it is time for a prediction! QPR will certainly fancy their chances of getting something out of this match as they are playing the champions at a good time, but City will also be looking for a reaction to the midweek defeat. I think City will just have too much quality for the R's, so I'm going for a 3-1 away victory.
The main danger man is Aguero, however, who leads the goalscoring charts with 10 goals having netted the winner against Manchester United last weekend. He has now got 11 goals in his last 12 Premier League appearances and is arguably the best striker in the league when fit and firing. If he is on form this afternoon, he could well add to his tally against the league's leakiest defence.
In midfield, Nasri returns to the starting lineup following a couple of sub appearances on his way back from injury. His guile and creativity will be needed for the champions, who are without Silva through injury. Toure is a constant threat in midfield but has received criticism for his performances at times this season, so QPR's hopes could lie largely down to what Toure turns up today.
As for City, they are without captain Kompany today after he picked up a calf injury against CSKA in midweek. Subsequently, they have a centre-back partnership of Demichelis and Mangala, which QPR will fancy their chances of getting at. Mangala has made a shaky start to life at the club, but Pellegrini will be hoping that he soon starts to come good, as Demichelis has done.
Dunne is coming up against one of his former clubs today, and he will be hoping to somehow keep a potent City attack at bay. Ferdinand remains suspended, but the former United defender may not have been chosen in the side anyway, with Dunne and Caulker striking up a decent partnership in the middle. There is only a place on the bench for Barton, Onuoha and Kranjcar, however, all of whom have recently returned from injury.
Austin has now got five goals for the season, taking his tally since the start of the last campaign up to 24 league goals - 18 more than any other QPR player. His importance to the team is huge, and Redknapp will be delighted that he has quickly proven that he can do it at the top level too.
So, what can we make of those two sides? Well, for the hosts it is no surprise to see Redknapp stick with the 4-4-2 formation that has brought him a bit of success in recent weeks. Austin in particular seems to thrive off having another striker up there with him, and Zamora seems to be the perfect man for the job at the moment. They link up well and have given Liverpool, Villa and Chelsea plenty to think about during their games.
MAN CITY STARTING XI: Hart; Sagna, Clichy, Demichelis, Mangala; Fernando, Fernandinho, Nasri, Navas, Toure; Aguero
TEAM NEWS: The teams are in for both sides, and the biggest headline is that Mangala slots in alongside Demichelis due to the injury suffered by Kompany. Nasri returns the starting lineup in place of Milner, while Sagna is given the nod ahead of Zabaleta. QPR, meanwhile, make one change of their own. Full teams coming right up...
City have been fairly good on their travels since overcoming the issues at the start of the last campaign too. They have lost just one of their last seven games on the road, although that defeat did come in their last away games as West Ham pulled off a shock. They have only been beaten once in their last six Premier League games in London as well, winning three and drawing two.
Unlike their opponents this afternoon, City have been fairly strong at the back this season, with only Southampton having conceded fewer goals. Southampton are also one of two teams to have scored more than City this season, with the champions averaging two per game after 10 matches. Despite their recent troubles, City are actually a point better off than at this stage last season, so Pellegrini won't be at panic stations just yet.
That remains their only victory in their last five matches in all competitions, during which time they have lost three. They could be on the verge of a Champions League exit having been eliminated from the League Cup at the hands of Newcastle last month, while defeat this afternoon may perhaps see them slip out of the title race. There is, of course, a long way to go, but City fans will remember how poorly they defended their crown last time around and wondering whether they are in for a repeat performance.
Indeed, their last outing in the Premier League saw them pick up a 1-0 victory over local rivals Manchester United, but even that was not so straightforward despite United having to play more than half of the game with 10 men. City's nervousness came to the fore in the closing stages as United began piling the pressure on, and Pellegrini's side only just held out for the victory.
The return to domestic duties will be welcome following their continued European woes in midweek. Having thrown away a two-goal lead against CSKA Moscow in Russia a fortnight before, they again slumped to a disappointing result in the Champions League. Their 2-1 defeat leaves their qualification hopes hanging by a thread in a very tricky group.
It is a huge match for City, then, not least because they now sit nine points behind leaders Chelsea following their victory over Liverpool earlier today. The way Chelsea are playing it is hard to see them dropping too many points this season, so a nine-point gap is already a big challenge for City. If they can cut that to six today then it will look a little bit more manageable.
City will not be going into any match expecting an easy time of things at the moment. They are in poor form ahead of this one, with manager Manuel Pellegrini admitting that his side are going through a crisis. Questions have even been raised regarding the Chilean's position at the club, and defeat to a struggling side like QPR today could push Pellegrini that bit closer to the exit door.
Being at home could well be a telling factor for QPR today. Home form is always important for a side struggling against the drop, but right now for QPR it is the only thing providing them with any hope. All seven of their Premier League points so far this season have come at Loftus Road, and City will know that they are not in for an easy time of things today.
There are problems at the other end too, with QPR posting the worst defensive record in the Premier League so far. They have conceded 20 goals in their opening 10 games, including heavy defeats to both Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United. Redknapp has criticised his side's naivety at the back, particularly in the Liverpool match, and will want to see a big improvement against last season's top scorers today.
Goals are an issue for the R's this season, despite Charlie Austin beginning to find a bit of form. They have found the back of the net just nine times in the current campaign, and only Villa and Burnley have scored fewer. In addition to Austin, though, Zamora and Vargas have begun to hit form, so Redknapp will be confident that the goals will come having scored in five of their last six games.
Having said that, any points from these sorts of matches will be regarded almost as bonus points for Harry Redknapp. He will believe that his side can get something out of this game, but he certainly won't be expecting it, even accounting for City's recent troubles. It is the matches against the teams in and around them that will really make the difference as to whether they stay in the division, and Redknapp will be looking ahead to upcoming games against Newcastle, Leicester and Burnley in that respect.
The victory in that spell came against Aston Villa, but Redknapp may actually take more positives from the games against Liverpool and Chelsea. That will be particularly true going into this game, as he will be telling his players that they can match for some of the bigger teams in the league. They probably deserved a point against Chelsea and all three against Liverpool, and a similar performance today could finally see them rewarded.
There are certainly positive signs for QPR despite their poor results over the campaign. They have performed well in their last three outings, but have only been rewarded with three points. They pushed Liverpool all the way only to lose 3-2 to a cruel Caulker own goal, while a contentious penalty was all that separated them from leaders Chelsea last time out.
QPR have had a tough time of things back in the Premier League so far, picking up just two victories and seven points from their opening 10 outings. The performance levels overall have been a big concern for Harry Redknapp, while off-field issues - such as the public row between Redknapp and Taarabt - have certainly not helped. However, depending on results in a couple of the 3pm kickoffs, they could climb out of the bottom three this afternoon, which would raise the optimism levels around the club.
Good afternoon! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for today's late kickoff in the Premier League as struggling Queens Park Rangers host Manchester City at Loftus Road. Both sides are in need of a victory for very different reasons today, so we should have a good encounter on our hands. Let's start with a look at the home side this afternoon...
