Premier League preview: Chelsea vs QPR

koclokindoblog, 28 April 2012, Queens Park Rangers' fight for survival in the English Premier League takes them to Stamford Bridge on Sunday where they meet Chelsea.

Impressive home form - QPR have won their last four fixtures at home, including wins over Arsenal and Tottenham - has seen Mark Hughes' side move out of the relegation zone.

But an 11-match winless run on the road means they are just one point above the relegation zone with three fixtures remaining.

And the first of those is no easy task as Hughes takes his men to sixth-placed Chelsea, who knocked Barcelona out of the UEFA Champions League at the semi-final stage on Tuesday.

"We've got to try to address our away form in the final two fixtures on the road," Hughes said in the build-up to Sunday's match.

"If we can be disciplined and understand what is required against Chelsea then we could get a positive result. It's a great London derby for the fans.

"It would be massive if we could get something positive from the trip to Stamford Bridge and then come back to Loftus Road for a huge game against Stoke."

Hughes believes victory at Chelsea - a side who they beat 1-0 in the reverse fixture in a match that was shrouded in controversy - will play a huge part in keeping the club safe from relegation.

The controversy that surrounded QPR's 1-0 win at Loftus Road in October came largely due the alleged racial comments John Terry made to Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand during the match.

Chelsea also finished the match with nine men, but the severity of Terry's alleged racial abuse will see him in court in July facing a criminal trial.

In the FA Cup meeting between the two sides in January, the traditional pre-match handshake was scrapped over fears that Ferdinand would reject any approach from Terry.

But the Premier League confirmed that the handshakes before the match would go ahead on Sunday, meaning that Ferdinand - and perhaps some of his QPR team-mates - are likely to refuse a handshake with the former England captain.

Chelsea will head into the match in a buoyant mood after their 2-2 draw at Camp Nou on Tuesday secured them a spot in the final of Europe's premier club competition, with Roberto Di Matteo's men to take on Bayern Munich in the May 19 showpiece.

Chelsea have lost just one of their last 15 matches in all competitions but will be without defenders Gary Cahill (hamstring) and Ryan Bertrand (calf) for Sunday's match, with David Luiz (hamstring) a 50-50 chance of playing.

QPR will be without midfield duo Alejandro Faurlin (knee) and Kieron Dyer (ankle) but other than that, have no injury concerns.

 

soccerway.com

Chelsea vs QPR Tanpa Jabat Tangan Antar Pemain

koclokindoblog, 27 April 2012, London - Pertandingan Liga Primer Ingris antara Chelsea kontra Queens Park Rangers pada akhir pekan tidak akan diawali dengan tradisi jabat tangan antara para pemain dari kedua kesebelasan.

Keputusan tersebut diambil oleh otoritas Liga Primer sehubungan dengan kasus yang melibatkan kapten Chelsea John Terry dengan bek QPR Anton Ferdinand.

Terry telah didakwa atas tindakan rasisme terhadap Ferdinand bulan Oktober lalu dan kini dijadwalkan muncul di pengadilan pada bulan Juli setelah Piala Eropa 2012. Terry sendiri sudah menampik dakwaan tersebut.

Pada akhir pekan, Chelsea akan menjamu QPR di Stamford Bridge dalam lanjutan pertandingan Liga Primer. Hubungan antara Terry-Ferdinand pun ikut membayangi laga tersebut.

Spekulasi kemudian mulai merebak apakah Terry dan Ferdinand akan bersalaman di pertandingan tersebut. Pertanyaan kini terjawab sudah.

"Posisi Liga Primer di dalam jabat tangan sebelum pertandingan tetap konsisten. Dalam kondisi nornal itu mesti dilakukan," terang Liga Primer dalam pernyataan yang dikutip Reuters.

"Akan tetapi, setelah berdiskusi dengan Chelsea dan QPR mengenai konteks legal secara potensial dan khusus terkait John Terry dan Anton Ferdinand, keputusan sudah diambil untuk meniadakan kebiasaan bersalaman untuk partai hari Minggu itu," lanjut keterangan tersebut.

Di bulan Januari lalu, kedua kesebelasan juga berhadapan di babak empat Piala FA. Ketika itu, prosesi salaman juga ditiadakan.

sport.detik.com