Queens Park Rangers recorded the English Premier League’s biggest upset of the season 1–0 over Chelsea on Wednesday as the football festive season drew to a close.
Shaun Wright-Phillips is reported to be unsettled at QPR and only made it onto the pitch because of an injury to Junior Hoilett, but the former Chelsea, Manchester City, and England winger well and truly spoiled the new year celebrations at Stamford Bridge with an unlikely 78th-minute winner for bottom of the table Rangers.
It was the Hoops’ first away win since November 2011 and only second of the season.
Notwithstanding the unexpected three points, Rangers are still propping up the rest of the league, but there is no question that this upset win—the club’s first top flight success at Stamford Bridge since March 1979—will give them tremendous heart for the second half of the campaign.
The loss leaves Chelsea 14 points adrift of leaders Manchester United in fourth place with now only a single game in hand.
Chelsea was still without captain John Terry and, with Anton Ferdinand missing for QPR, the two protagonists in last season’s racism row were both absent. It was to be hoped, therefore, that the acrimony that has plagued recent encounters between the two West London rivals would not be in evidence on this occasion.
First choice goalkeeper Petr Cech picked up a groin strain at Everton on Sunday so Ross Turnbull started only his fifth Barclays Premier League game between the sticks.
Midfielder John Obi Mikel’s knee is still not right, but Ryan Bertrand was passed fit to play at left back and allowed Ashley Cole a rest.
Chelsea boss Rafa Benitez also left Juan Mata and Eden Hazard on the bench in favor of Victor Moses and Marko Marin. It was the Bosnian-born German international’s first Premier League start since his move from Werder Bremen last July.
QPR manager Harry Redknapp still has strikers Andrew Johnson (knee) and Bobby Zamora (hip) sidelined with long-term injuries. On-loan defender Fabio Da Silva from Manchester United was brought in at left back with the hard-tackling Shaun Derry returning to strengthen the midfield.
Injury plagued Canadian Hoilett began a game for the first time under the Redknapp regime.
Dull First Half
Marin was desperate to make an impression in his league debut and he certainly managed that with the match not yet four minutes old. His very late tackle, with studs showing, went way over the ball into the shin of his opponent Stephane M'Bia.
It was a potential leg breaker and he would surely have been shown a straight red card had it not occurred so early in the match. Referee Lee Mason produced only a yellow, and Marin was lucky indeed to remain on the field of play.
That moment of controversy turned out to be just about the only talking point of a decidedly uninspiring first half. Neither goalkeeper had a significant save to make until the 43rd minute when a Frank Lampard shot was deflected and Julio Cesar, who was going the wrong way, made a good save with his legs.
Chelsea woke up somewhat after the break and began to put the visitors under pressure. However, without the creative flair of Mata and Hazard they were finding it hard to open up the stubborn QPR defense; the chances they did manage to create were not converted.
Marin gave way to Hazard on the hour with Mata replacing Moses fifteen minutes later, and they did begin to spark the team into life; but, ironically, it was at the Chelsea end that lightning struck.
