- match commentary
- English Barclays Premier League
- 15 September 2012, 3:00pm
- Loftus Road
- Attendance: 18,271
QPR![]() | v | Chelsea![]() |
| 0 | 0 |
live commentary
90 mins:FULL TIME: QPR 0-0 CHELSEA
89 mins:Cisse shoots at goal, but finds only the outstretched leg of Luiz. What an ending to this game we're witnessing here.
88 mins:Hazard is still shaking his head after missing that chance, and so he should be!
87 mins:What a glorious chance for Hazard! The ball is pulled back to him eight yards from goal. The player perhaps leans back a touch too much and absolutely skies the ball over the bar. That was such a golden opportunity for a player of his quality.
85 mins:Cisse makes a nuisance of himself in the box, as he so loves to do, but Luiz does just about enough to clear the danger.
83 mins:Mikel plays the ball out to Ivanovic, who plays it back to Mikel. Moses finds himself on the right wing with the ball at his feet but QPR are keeping the pressure levels high on the Chelsea players when they're not in possession, making it really difficult for them to make that final crucial and penetrative pass.
81 mins:Hazard links up with Sturridge, who sprints into the box. He tries to pick out Ramires in the middle of the box, but the linesman rules that the English striker ran the ball out of play.
80 mins:Daniel Sturridge replaces Torres for Chelsea.
79 mins:A flurry of corners from Chelsea ends in a block from Ryan Nelsen from a Ramires shot. Chelsea are just starting to put their foot on the gas at last here.
77 mins:Lampard hits a bouncing shot into the ground, but the effort has no pace on it. Seconds later, QPR break after Mikel plays an under-hit backpass towards Cech. Zamora nips in and shapes to shoot, but Cech does enough to put the striker off, and Terry ends up clearing his shot off the line.
75 mins:Chelsea seem to be running out of ideas in and around the box. How they could do with Juan Mata sitting on that bench...
73 mins:Terry is now back up on his feet and seems alright to continue. That did look painful though.
72 mins:Terry is down injured at the moment, much to the delight of the QPR fans. He seems to have jarred a knee.
70 mins:Torres and Hazard are just starting to string a few nice bits of attacking play together, but the Chelsea fans are urging their team on, sensing time is running out here.
68 mins:QPR make their final change of the game, Djibril Cisse replacing Wright-Phillips.
68 mins:That cross from Hazard for that Ivanovic chance was sublime, by the way.
67 mins:Ivanovic connects with a Hazard cross and fires a header over the bar. That was pretty much a free header for Ivanovic and, for a man so adept at grabbing headed goals, that effort was poor.
65 mins:Chelsea win a throw-in near the QPR box. Torres tries to play his way in-field, but Onuoha is too strong for him, slamming the ball out of play.
63 mins:A few of the QPR players are starting to look a little tired. With Chelsea still having two substitutions up their sleeves, they may well want to take advantage of that.
61 mins:Moses has barely had a touch of the ball since coming on, but that's mainly because QPR are doing really well at keeping possession at the moment, edging the possession stats over the last few minutes.
59 mins:Perhaps Moses can bring something special to Chelsea's play that has been slightly lacking so far today.
57 mins:Bertrand is replaced by Victor Moses, making his debut for the Blues.
57 mins:QPR do well to win a corner but the delivery into the six yard box is headed away by Branislav Ivanovic.
55 mins:Park pulls the ball across the face of goal, with a number of QPR players lurking, but Terry acts fast to clear the danger. Seconds later, Park heads the ball straight at Cech after a brilliant ball into the box from Granero. What a chance that was.
53 mins:An extraordinary pass from Hazard finds Terry in a forward position. The defender does well to flick the ball towards Mikel, before calming play down in midfield by playing it back towards Cech.
52 mins:With Arsenal and Manchester United currently winning their games, Chelsea really could do with picking up all three points today. QPR, on the evidence of the action so far, aren't just going to roll over for them, though.
50 mins:A shot on the turn from Mackie is pushed away by a quick-thinking Cech. That was an excellent effort from Mackie.
48 mins:Hazard shoots at goal but finds his effort blocked. Lampard follows up with a thumping effort, but finds his attempt similarly thwarted by a QPR player.
47 mins:Cole tries a nice little turn against Wright-Phillips, but QPR have enough men back behind the former Chelsea man to nick the ball away.
45 mins:The second half is now underway.
45 mins:HALF TIME: QPR 0-0 CHELSEA
44 mins:Granero takes a short run-up, before curling the ball around the wall but wide of the post.
44 mins:QPR have a free kick, with Granero lining up to hit it.
42 mins:Park is fouled by Mikel on the halfway line, handing QPR a soft free kick.
40 mins:Another cross from Cole from the left wing, this one aimed towards Ramires, is cleared by former Chelsea man Jose Bosingwa.
38 mins:Possession here is still being split remarkably equally, and the chances are just starting to become a little more clear-cut from both teams.
36 mins:That Luiz header was perhaps the best chance of this game so far.
35 mins:Cole's cross from the left wing is a dangerous one, the ball swirling around in the air, and Ferdinand has to keep his wits about him before heading the ball out for a corner. From the corner, Luiz sends a stunning diving header just over the bar. What a chance!
33 mins:The more you see of that penalty appeal, the more it looks like Chelsea were robbed there by the referee.
31 mins:Jamie Mackie comes on for the injured Johnson.
30 mins:Johnson has gone down injured and may need to be replaced.
29 mins:A challenge on Hazard from Wright-Phillips results in very vocal penalty appeals from the Chelsea players, but the referee isn't interested. That did look like contact there from the QPR man, it must be said.
28 mins:A QPR throw-in somehow ends up at the feet of John Obi Mikel, who hoofs the ball up towards Torres, whose movement today has been impressive.
26 mins:Ryan Bertrand is booked for a foul on Wright-Phillips.
25 mins:Zamora plays the ball out towards Johnson on the right. Johnson's cross is blocked by Cole on the edge of the box.
23 mins:This game is very physical, but it is so far veering on the right side of physicality, one or two slightly late challenges aside.
21 mins:A free kick to Chelsea results in Terry going down in the box after clashing with Onuoha. The Chelsea man doesn't complain, perhaps fearing the wrath of the QPR fans and players, and sprints back towards Cech and David Luiz.
19 mins:Nedum Onuoha comes on for the injured Fabio.
19 mins:Torres hassles Andrew Johnson, in possession for QPR, before bringing him down. Johnson isn't at all happy about that, but his moan to the referee is ignored.
17 mins:Fabio seems to have picked up a muscle strain here and might just need to be replaced.
16 mins:Torres almost opens the scoring, the striker shifting the ball onto his left foot before forcing a diving save from Julio Cesar.
15 mins:Park slips the ball into the area for Zamora to run onto, but the striker's shot has too much pace on it, and Petr Cech makes an easy save.
13 mins:Ramires, incensed after that earlier foul on him, is booked after a lunge on Granero.
12 mins:The Blues win a free kick in a decent position after Ramires finds himself hacked down cynically by Esteban Granero. Lampard is the man to take it, but the ball runs out of play.
12 mins:Possession has been pretty much 50/50 so far here at Loftus Road, but Chelsea look the more dangerous when in possession.
10 mins:A lovely cross from Ji-Sung Park almost meets Shaun Wright-Phillips at the back post, but Ashley Cole is on hand to outwit the former Blues man, clearing up towards the other end.
8 mins:Frank Lampard pings a ball up towards Torres, but the striker just takes his eye off the ball for a second, and Fabio nicks it away from him.
6 mins:It's been a slightly scrappy start to the game from both sides, but Chelsea will just want to make sure they stand firm at the back in order not to hand this very vocal crowd any more ammunition to get behind their team.
4 mins:The ever-lively Eden Hazard shoots from the edge of the box but his effort is straight at Julio Cesar, who makes a comfortable save on his debut for QPR.
2 mins:A near-post flick from Terry from a corner is cleared on the edge of the box by Bobby Zamora. Now that would make the headlines if Terry opened the scoring here!
1 mins:Terry, his every touch predictably greeted by boos, hoofs the ball up towards Fernando Torres, but the ball doesn't quite reach the striker and QPR regain possession.
No handshake between Ferdinand and Terry, but the game is now underway. Hopefully that ill feeling won't spill over into this match.
So much of the build-up to today's game has focused on the pre-match handshake, likely to be a point of controversy given the recent history between these two teams. However, Anton Ferdinand and John Terry aside, let's not forget that this is always one of the most eagerly anticipated London derbies, and a fixture that traditionally favours the underdog, Chelsea winning just two of 17 top-flight games at Loftus Road. With the Blues defending a 100% start to the season, and QPR chasing a spot outside the relegation zone, let's hope that today the players do all their talking on the pitch where it counts.
team line-up
| 33 | Julio César | |
| 17 | Ryan Nelsen | |
| 5 | Anton Ferdinand | |
| 20 | Fabio | 21 |
| 19 | José Bosingwa | |
| 7 | Park Ji-Sung | |
| 14 | Esteban Granero | |
| 32 | Alejandro Faurlin | |
| 11 | Shaun Wright-Phillips | 70 |
| 8 | Andrew Johnson | 33 |
| 25 | Bobby Zamora |
substitutes
| 23 | Junior Hoilett | |
| 10 | Adel Taarabt | |
| 9 | Djibril Cissé | 70 |
| 15 | Nedum Onuoha | 21 |
| 1 | Robert Green | |
| 12 | Jamie Mackie | 33 |
| 18 | Kieron Dyer |
referee
Andre Marrinerteam line-up
| 1 | Petr Cech | |
| 34 | Ryan Bertrand | 58 |
| 3 | Ashley Cole | |
| 4 | David Luiz | |
| 26 | John Terry | |
| 2 | Branislav Ivanovic | |
| 12 | John Obi Mikel | |
| 8 | Frank Lampard | |
| 7 | Ramires | |
| 9 | Fernando Torres | 81 |
| 17 | Eden Hazard |
substitutes
| 23 | Daniel Sturridge | 81 |
| 13 | Victor Moses | 58 |
| 28 | César Azpilicueta | |
| 6 | Oriol Romeu | |
| 24 | Gary Cahill | |
| 11 | Oscar | |
| 22 | Ross Turnbull |
referee
Andre Marrinermatch stats
| possession % | 52 | 47 | |
| shots on target | 3 | 4 | |
| shots off target | 5 | 4 | |
| corners | 2 | 4 | |
| tackles won | 30 | 18 | |
| offsides | 3 | 1 |





