There is just one Premier League game on Sunday as new-boys Queens Park Rangers host Aston Villa. Both clubs have taken seven points from their first five matches but who will come out of this one on top? (QPR 13/10, Aston Villa 23/10, draw 9/4).
Rangers were tipped as one of the favourites to go straight back down before the start of the season and their 4-0 drubbing at home to Bolton on the opening day did little to dispel the doubters (Rangers 11/4 Premier League Relegation).
But what a difference a month makes, with a successful takeover, a cash injection and some talented and experienced recruits to aid the quest to keep the club in England’s top division.
Two wins, a draw and one defeat have followed and the signings that boss Neil Warnock has made have been shrewd, with the pace and skill of Shaun Wright-Phillips and the grit and determination of the midfield workhorse Joey Barton.
Barton certainly comes with baggage but he looks up for the fight and appears to be enjoying his venture down south and he will play a massive part in the Hoops’ plans this term.
There appears to be a decent team spirit at Loftus Road, too, while any side that Warnock puts out will give its all and, with Barton in the ranks, they will not want for passion.
Whether they have the skill and guile to regularly open up opposition defences as the season progresses is open to question but DJ Campbell has looked lively to date and remains a goal threat.
One thing that Rangers still have to do this season is score a goal at home as they have come up blank on two occasions and have yet to win a top-flight home game.
So, what better time to put that right than when an under-strength Villa side come calling.
The Villa Park outfit are still unbeaten in the Premier League but Alex McLeish’s side have won just one game and drawn all the others and they will be without both Darren Bent and Emile Heskey this weekend.
Gabriel Agbonlahor has started the season in decent form, however, with three strikes, netting half the Villans’ top-flight goals to date.
Rangers will need to counter his threat and, if they can keep the shackles on the England international hitman, they will have an excellent chance of taking all three points, with little goal threat coming from other areas of the park at present.
Jermaine Jenas could make his debut for the Midlanders after recovering from a thigh injury but he may have to settle for a place on the bench.
With two key members of the squad missing, McLeish might well be happy to settle for a point in west London but most things points to a QPR victory and it would be no surprise to see them break their home goalscoring duck and walk away with the spoils on Sunday evening.
Rangers have never lost at home to Aston Villa in the Premier League – although the sides have not met since the mid-1990s – but there seems every chance of that record remaining intact come Sunday evening.
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