Loftus Road has not been the happiest hunting ground for Queens Park Rangers for most of this campaign. Having had a mere two wins in the first seven months of the season, they have doubled that in their past two home matches with precious victories over Liverpool, and now Arsenal. It is hard to overestimate the importance of another memorable scalp, in terms of points, confidence and sheer bloody hope.
The survival mission always looked unappetising, with a string of matches against high-calibre opposition on the run-in menu. QPR have, though, discovered a sense of purpose that gives them a chance to believe. This result might not have been predicted but it was entirely deserved. Fine strikes from Adel Taarabt and Samba Diakité ended Arsenal's seven-game winning streak, but to merely name-check the goalscorers would be churlish. Throughout Mark Hughes's team there was an energy and determination that ensured the visitors never really settled.
Joey Barton, who professed in his programme notes to be so sensitive about criticism that he felt he could not function during the win against Liverpool, had urged everyone to make Loftus Road into a "unified fortress". It felt that way in the opening exchanges, as the place began to rumble with excitement when QPR exerted some pressure. They were feisty and direct. They pressed Arsenal for all they were worth, and from that platform their main attacking outlets all caused unease. Bobby Zamora's physical presence, Taraabt's trickery, and Jamie Mackie's persistence made Arsenal's defence jittery.
A perfect tackle from Alex Song was required to intercept a chance for Zamora in the box, who then glanced Taraabt's teasing free-kick over the crossbar. With Djibril Cissé suspended, the former Fulham striker, who had scored the winner against Arsenal at Craven Cottage in January, took it upon himself to cause some headaches. Arsenal's rearguard were rattled, conceding ground, possession and chances.
Taraabt capitalised magnificently. When the Moroccan latched on to Clint Hill's pass, he jinked effortlessly past Thomas Vermaelen and placed a venomous shot past Wojciech Szczesny. His celebration, with a fez lobbed from the crowd helpfully plonked on his head, was suitably liberated. It was Taarabt's first Premier League goal – from his 69th shot of the season. "That will do him the world of good," Hughes said.
Arsenal strained to muster a response. They lacked the rhythm and fluency that had underpinned their recent rush of wins. Passes went astray, players lost their footing. With a moment of ingenuity in the 37th minute they were level. Robin van Persie looked as if he had nowhere to run when he found the room to smuggle a pass through to Theo Walcott. The Englishman's first shot thumped against a post, but the rebound fell kindly for him to tuck in the equaliser.
The QPR goalkeeper Paddy Kenny had not exactly been overworked, and it took Arsenal a while to get going again in the second half. Van Persie tested him with an angled free-kick. Then Song's threaded pass served Van Persie with the kind of chance the Dutchman is expected to score routinely, but Kenny responded to beat the ball away. Then just as it seemed as if Arsenal were about to switch up a gear, QPR responded.
In the 66th minute Vermaelen's difficult afternoon deteriorated further when he got himself in a tangle on the edge of the box, and Mackie danced across and picked out Diakité. The Malian, who enjoyed an influential game and was praised by Hughes for his "maturity", finished with aplomb and Loftus Road was euphoric again.
QPR could not be faulted for effort. One of the biggest cheers came when Shaun Derry halted the accelerating Walcott with a hearty tackle. Arsenal had a penalty claim ignored when Nedum Onuoha allowed the ball to bounce up and hit his hand in stoppage time.
It was QPR's day. Overall, Arsenal were sluggish and imbalanced, with Aaron Ramsey's positioning on the left side of the attack a strategic gamble that did not come off. Arsène Wenger was touchy when asked later about the reasoning behind it. "The thinking is that he played there because I decided for him to play there," he snapped.
Hughes was hopeful this could be a platform for the challenge that lies ahead. "We can only do what we do and look after ourselves. If we play like that from now until the end of the season we will win more games. It's a given."
Source: Amy Lawrence, The Guardian on 31 Mar 12
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