Frank Lorenzo
Arsenal (-400) vs. Queen Park Rangers (+1100) (Draw +450)
After giving away two points in the last second against Liverpool last weekend (2-2), Arsenal will face Queen Park Rangers in their 18th fixture in the Barclays Premier League. The game will be next Friday, December 26, at Emirates Stadium (11:00 a.m. Eastern).
The Gunners are the favorites in the moneyline, sitting at -400, while a QPR victory will pay +1100 and the draw +450.
Arsenal are sixth in the table through 17 matches with 27 points and a 7-6-4 record. In their last six games, the Gunners are 3-1-2.
On Friday, they will be facing a QPR side that is 16th in the league, just two points out of the relegation zone. Through 17 matches, QPR has 17 points and a 5-2-10 record. However, the Rangers have been better lately, winning three of their last six (which moved them out of the bottom three and into safety, for the time being).
In their last match, QPR came from behind to beat West Brom (3-2) and move level on points with the Baggies. Queen Parks Rangers coach Harry Redknapp was thrilled with his team’s performance.
“We showed great character to keep going and when you’ve got Charlie [Austin] in your team, you’ve always got a chance,” said Redknapp. “It was an incredible game – Roy of the Rovers stuff really. To come from 2-0 down and win in the final five minutes is fantastic – it’s a massive, massive win for us.”
Meanwhile, Arsenal’s manager, Arsene Wenger, was disappointed, but not surprised, by his team’s 2-2 draw with Liverpool.
“It was maybe a fair result, but we are disappointed to give a goal away with a free header from a corner,” said Wenger. “It was an intense game. We played a little bit with a handbrake in the first half. Liverpool played well. We lost the ball too quickly in the first half; when you are not used to something, it was frustrating”.
Arsenal dominates the historical head-to-head against QPR in the Premier League with 20 wins and 12 losses. The Gunners have been money in the bank on Boxing Day (December 26), going 11-5-1 all-time. In contrast, QPR has never won the day after Christmas (0-1-2).
(Photo credit: Singha94 (Photo déchargée directement de l’appareil photo) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.)
