Two sides in contrasting runs of form in the Championship will do battle on Saturday, as Swansea City entertain Queens Park Rangers.
The hosts are without a win in four league outings and have just six points from their seven games so far, while their visitors have moved onto 11 points with back-to-back victories.
Match preview
After a draw with Rotherham United and a heavy defeat to Blackburn Rovers to start the Championship season, Swansea City were able to put their first victory on the board as Olivier Ntcham scored late on in a 1-0 triumph away at Blackpool.
Hoping to build on that result and establish themselves in the league's leading pack, Russell Martin's men then hosted Millwall and looked set to win 2-0, only for own goals from Ben Cabango and Nathan Wood deep into injury time to force a share of the spoils.
The Swans have been unable to bounce back from that disappointment since, firstly losing 2-0 at home to Luton Town before being beaten 2-1 away at Middlesbrough last week, with Joel Piroe's second-half goal from the penalty spot not enough to inspire a turnaround.
Martin's side then travelled to Stoke City on Wednesday and looked to have put their tough run behind them, leading 1-0 throughout the game thanks to Piroe's early goal, only for their hosts to draw level in injury time as Tyrese Campbell finished from close range.
With that result leaving them on just six points from seven outings, the Swans will now be desperate to correct their form as pressure mounts and will go in search of a second league win of the campaign on Saturday.
That will be no easy task, though, as the visitors arrive in high spirits on the back of a positive start to the season.
Following the appointment of Michael Beale over the summer, Queens Park Rangers began the Championship campaign with a defeat to Blackburn Rovers, before bouncing back with a 3-2 beating of Middlesbrough thanks to goals from Chris Willock, Jimmy Dunne and Lyndon Dykes.
A pair of draws and a defeat then followed, but the Hoops would return to winning ways in impressive fashion away at promotion-hopefuls Watford last weekend, as Ilias Chair and Chris Willock twice put them ahead before Albert Adomah restored the lead in the 70th minute, with that goal eventually proving decisive.
Returning to action on Tuesday, Beale's side hosted Hull City, and Chair and Willock were again on the scoresheet either side of an Ethan Laird goal to put them 3-0 up in the first half, before eventually holding on for an important 3-1 victory.
On the back of their consecutive wins, QPR now sit ninth in the Championship with 11 points from seven outings, and they will aim to keep building momentum with a third straight triumph at the weekend.
- L
- W
- D
- L
- L
- D
- L
- W
- D
- L
- L
- D
- W
- D
- L
- D
- W
- W
- L
- D
- L
- D
- W
- W
Team News
Swansea City centre-back Ben Cabango will return to contention for the weekend's game after serving a suspension last time out, and he could come back into the defence in place of Nathan Wood, while Joel Latibeaudiere remains out of action through injury.
Martin will be encouraged by the form of attacker Joel Piroe, who has opened his account for the league campaign with goals in back-to-back games after hitting the net 22 times in the Championship last season.
Ollie Cooper made a full league debut in support of the frontman against Stoke, but Michael Obafemi and Olivier Ntcham will both be hoping to come back into the attacking line from the outset on Saturday.
Queens Park Rangers will be unable to call on centre-back Jake Clarke-Salter due to an injury, and Jimmy Dunne and Rob Dickie will continue to partner up at the heart of a back four in his absence.
Key winger Chris Willock's fitness will be monitored, although he is likely to be fit to start with fellow threat Ilias Chair set to play on the opposite flank.
Lyndon Dykes's position up front in a 4-2-3-1 system may be at risk on Saturday, with Leeds United loanee Tyler Roberts pushing to displace the Scottish international, who has managed just one league goal so far this term.
Swansea City possible starting lineup:
Fisher; Naughton, Darling, Cabango; Sorinola, Allen, Grimes, Manning; Piroe, Obafemi, Ntcham
Queens Park Rangers possible starting lineup:
Dieng; Laird, Dickie, Dunne, Paal; Field, Johansen; Chair, Dozzell, Willock; Roberts
We say: Swansea City 1-2 Queens Park Rangers
QPR arrive with renewed confidence, while their hosts are lacking any momentum in the Championship and have been unable to get over the line recently, and we see Beale's men returning to London with all three points as a result.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
body check tags ::
Previews by email
