QPR and their quest for a return to the Premier League

Queens Park Rangers last experienced the top flight of English football way back in 2015, with the Rs finishing rock bottom of the Premier League table.

Despite by no means having one of the lowest point tallies for a side finishing in 20th, they were unable to survive the drop alongside Hull City and Burnley, with the latter making an instant return the season after.

Since they dropped back down to the Championship, they have rarely been able to test the water in terms of challenging for promotion back to the top flight, with finishes as low as 18th and 19th seeing them edge closer to League One rather than the Premier League.

However, despite finishing nine points outside of the play-off spots in the previous campaign, QPR currently sit fourth in the league and are now teasing a long awaited return to the fop flight.
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Their West London neighbours Fulham are by far and away the favourites to win the title this season and make up for their dismal performance in the Premier League last term. If two of the three promotion winners this year were to be QPR and the Cottagers, there would be a total of eight teams from the capital in the first division, joining the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and West Ham.

Judging by their progression so far, that could well be a reality come the start of the new season.

The Rs are the second most in form team in the Championship within the last six games, winning four and drawing two, scoring 11 and conceding four. If they were able to maintain their lead against Middlesbrough on Tuesday night, they would have been joint top with Fulham in terms of success over their previous six results.

QPR are just three points outside the top two in the league, and have two games in hand over third placed Blackburn Rovers, meaning a push for automatic promotion is certainly not out of the question. Four of their next five games are against teams in the bottom half of the table, including Barnsley who have only won two matches in the league all season.

These upcoming fixtures will provide them with the opportunity to make even further ground on their fellow challengers, with their final match of the month seeing them travel to Blackburn, an encounter that could prove to be crucial in deciding whether or not they will go straight back up to the Premier League, or face the trials and tribulations of the play-offs once again.
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Lyndon Dykes is their top scorer in the Championship this season with nine strikes, yet is only joint 17th in the division’s highest goal-scorers. Aleksandar Mitrovic has scored nearly 2/3 of the same amount of goals as QPR this season, with the striker netting 30 for Fulham so far.

Despite this, Chris Willock’s ten assists is joint second in the league with the Cottagers’ Harry Wilson, proving that they are able to create chances and put them to bed when required. With 33 goals conceded, it is clear to see that they don’t have the best defence in the league, especially when they have only kept ten clean sheets, but this is not far from Bournemouth’s leading total of 13.

Mark Warburton’s side still have to face four of the top six sides before the end of the season including the table toppers and a trip to Nottingham Forest, who have also been enjoying a recent spell of good results.

English football fans are fully aware of how tough it is to compete in the Championship, let alone challenge for promotion to the Premier League.

However, judging by where they are now in the league and the quality they possess in their squad, QPR fans could soon see themselves basking in glory come the end of the season and announce their return to the top flight.

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