LIVE MATCH CENTRE
9 February, 2013
| Swansea City |
FT
41
|
Queens Park Rangers |
Michu 8'
1 - 0
Ángel Rangel 18'
2 - 0
2 - 1
Bobby Zamora 48'
Pablo Hernández 50'
3 - 1
Michu 67'
4 - 1
HT:
2 - 0
Liberty Stadium (Attendance: 20,529)
Swansea City
Michel Vorm
1
Ángel Rangel
22
Chico
4
Ashley Williams
6
Ben Davies
33
Pablo Hernández
11
Jonathan De Guzman
20
Sung-Yueng Ki
24
Wayne Routledge
15
Nathan Dyer
12
Michu
9
Substitutes
Kyle Bartley
2
Kemy Agustien
26
Luke Moore
19
Gerhard Tremmel
25
Roland Lamah
14
Dwight Tiendalli
21
Itay Shechter
17
Queens Park Rangers
33
Júlio César
15
Nedum Onuoha
5
Christopher Samba
6
Clint Hill
3
Armand Traoré
29
Andros Townsend
4
Shaun Derry
40
Stephane Mbia
16
Jermaine Jenas
10
Adel Taarabt
12
Jamie Mackie
Substitutes
11
Shaun Wright-Phillips
14
Esteban Granero
25
Bobby Zamora
7
Ji-Sung Park
1
Robert Green
21
Tal Ben-Haim
37
Jay Bothroyd
Referee: Neil Swarbrick
90'
Game Over
Swansea City 4-1 Queens Park Rangers
90'
Foul
Nathan Dyer fouled by Stephane Mbia (Queens Park Rangers)
90'
Foul
Armand Traoré fouled by Jonathan De Guzman (Swansea City)
90'
Shot
Shaun Wright-Phillips (Queens Park Rangers)
90'
Shot
Andros Townsend (Queens Park Rangers)
90'
Cross
Bobby Zamora (Queens Park Rangers)
90'
Cross
Esteban Granero (Queens Park Rangers)
89'
Throw-In
Ángel Rangel (Swansea City)
87'
Throw-In
Armand Traoré (Queens Park Rangers)
87'
Shot
Shaun Wright-Phillips (Queens Park Rangers)
86'
Shot on Target
Stephane Mbia (Queens Park Rangers)
86'
Throw-In
Ángel Rangel (Swansea City)
85'
Throw-In
Armand Traoré (Queens Park Rangers)
85'
Throw-In
Ángel Rangel (Swansea City)
85'
Cross
Andros Townsend (Queens Park Rangers)
85'
Cross
Adel Taarabt (Queens Park Rangers)
84'
Shot
Stephane Mbia (Queens Park Rangers)
84'
Free Kick
Stephane Mbia (Queens Park Rangers)
83'
Foul
Stephane Mbia fouled by Sung-Yueng Ki (Swansea City)
83'
Shot
Stephane Mbia (Queens Park Rangers)
82'
Cross
Kemy Agustien (Swansea City)
82'
Throw-In
Ángel Rangel (Swansea City)
81'
Throw-In
Ben Davies (Swansea City)
81'
Throw-In
Ben Davies (Swansea City)
81'
Substitution
Luke Moore on for Michu (Swansea City)
80'
Throw-In
Ángel Rangel (Swansea City)
79'
Throw-In
Ángel Rangel (Swansea City)
78'
Foul
Michu fouled by Clint Hill (Queens Park Rangers)
78'
Goal Kick
Michel Vorm (Swansea City)
78'
Shot
Esteban Granero (Queens Park Rangers)
78'
Throw-In
Ángel Rangel (Swansea City)
77'
Throw-In
Armand Traoré (Queens Park Rangers)
77'
Goal Kick
Michel Vorm (Swansea City)
76'
Shot
Adel Taarabt (Queens Park Rangers)
75'
Offside
Michu (Swansea City)
72'
Shot
Nathan Dyer (Swansea City)
72'
Cross
Jonathan De Guzman (Swansea City)
72'
Shot
Pablo Hernández (Swansea City)
72'
Corner Kick
Jonathan De Guzman (Swansea City)
71'
Corner Kick
Adel Taarabt (Queens Park Rangers)
70'
Shot
Bobby Zamora (Queens Park Rangers)
70'
Throw-In
Armand Traoré (Queens Park Rangers)
69'
Corner Kick
Adel Taarabt (Queens Park Rangers)
69'
Shot
Bobby Zamora (Queens Park Rangers)
68'
Shot on Target
Michu (Swansea City)
68'
Substitution
Shaun Wright-Phillips on for Jermaine Jenas (Queens Park Rangers)
67'
Goal
Michu (Swansea City), Assist by Pablo Hernández
67'
Shot on Target
Michu (Swansea City)
67'
Cross
Pablo Hernández (Swansea City)
66'
Throw-In
Ángel Rangel (Swansea City)
66'
Goal Kick
Michel Vorm (Swansea City)
65'
Throw-In
Ángel Rangel (Swansea City)
64'
Throw-In
Armand Traoré (Queens Park Rangers)
64'
Goal Kick
Michel Vorm (Swansea City)
64'
Shot
Andros Townsend (Queens Park Rangers)
63'
Throw-In
Ben Davies (Swansea City)
63'
Substitution
Kemy Agustien on for Wayne Routledge (Swansea City)
62'
Cross
Michu (Swansea City)
62'
Throw-In
Ben Davies (Swansea City)
60'
Throw-In
Armand Traoré (Queens Park Rangers)
60'
Goal Kick
Michel Vorm (Swansea City)
59'
Shot
Adel Taarabt (Queens Park Rangers)
59'
Throw-In
Nedum Onuoha (Queens Park Rangers)
59'
Throw-In
Armand Traoré (Queens Park Rangers)
57'
Shot on Target
Stephane Mbia (Queens Park Rangers)
57'
Cross
Andros Townsend (Queens Park Rangers)
57'
Throw-In
Ángel Rangel (Swansea City)
56'
Shot
Adel Taarabt (Queens Park Rangers)
55'
Cross
Andros Townsend (Queens Park Rangers)
55'
Throw-In
Ángel Rangel (Swansea City)
54'
Foul
Jonathan De Guzman fouled by Stephane Mbia (Queens Park Rangers)
54'
Shot on Target
Nathan Dyer (Swansea City)
52'
Throw-In
Ángel Rangel (Swansea City)
50'
Goal
Pablo Hernández (Swansea City)
50'
Shot on Target
Pablo Hernández (Swansea City)
49'
Cross
Esteban Granero (Queens Park Rangers)
49'
Throw-In
Armand Traoré (Queens Park Rangers)
49'
Foul
Pablo Hernández fouled by Nedum Onuoha (Queens Park Rangers)
48'
Goal
Bobby Zamora (Queens Park Rangers)
48'
Shot on Target
Bobby Zamora (Queens Park Rangers)
48'
Shot on Target
Adel Taarabt (Queens Park Rangers)
47'
Throw-In
Armand Traoré (Queens Park Rangers)
47'
Foul
Esteban Granero fouled by Sung-Yueng Ki (Swansea City)
46'
Corner Kick
Jonathan De Guzman (Swansea City)
46'
Substitution
Esteban Granero on for Shaun Derry (Queens Park Rangers)
46'
Substitution
Bobby Zamora on for Jamie Mackie (Queens Park Rangers)
46'
Start Half
45'
Half Over
Swansea City 2-0 Queens Park Rangers
45'
Yellow Card
Yellow Card - Armand Traoré (Queens Park Rangers)
45'
Yellow Card
Yellow Card - Ben Davies (Swansea City)
45'
Foul
Nedum Onuoha fouled by Ben Davies (Swansea City)
45'
Throw-In
Nedum Onuoha (Queens Park Rangers)
45'
Cross
Jonathan De Guzman (Swansea City)
45'
Corner Kick
Jonathan De Guzman (Swansea City)
45'
Cross
Pablo Hernández (Swansea City)
44'
Throw-In
Ángel Rangel (Swansea City)
44'
Throw-In
Ben Davies (Swansea City)
43'
Throw-In
Ben Davies (Swansea City)
43'
Throw-In
Ben Davies (Swansea City)
40'
Yellow Card
Yellow Card - Adel Taarabt (Queens Park Rangers)
40'
Foul
Sung-Yueng Ki fouled by Adel Taarabt (Queens Park Rangers)
39'
Offside
Nathan Dyer (Swansea City)
39'
Offside
Michu (Swansea City)
37'
Goal Kick
Júlio César (Queens Park Rangers)
37'
Cross
Sung-Yueng Ki (Swansea City)
37'
Shot
Michu (Swansea City)
37'
Cross
Jonathan De Guzman (Swansea City)
37'
Corner Kick
Jonathan De Guzman (Swansea City)
36'
Shot
Michu (Swansea City)
36'
Cross
Ben Davies (Swansea City)
35'
Goal Kick
Júlio César (Queens Park Rangers)
33'
Substitution
Kyle Bartley on for Chico (Swansea City)
30'
Foul
Chico fouled by Stephane Mbia (Queens Park Rangers)
30'
Cross
Adel Taarabt (Queens Park Rangers)
30'
Free Kick
Adel Taarabt (Queens Park Rangers)
30'
Foul
Stephane Mbia fouled by Sung-Yueng Ki (Swansea City)
29'
Throw-In
Nedum Onuoha (Queens Park Rangers)
29'
Goal Kick
Júlio César (Queens Park Rangers)
29'
Cross
Ángel Rangel (Swansea City)
27'
Foul
Andros Townsend fouled by Ben Davies (Swansea City)
27'
Throw-In
Ben Davies (Swansea City)
26'
Throw-In
Ángel Rangel (Swansea City)
25'
Foul
Clint Hill fouled by Pablo Hernández (Swansea City)
24'
Foul
Jonathan De Guzman fouled by Jermaine Jenas (Queens Park Rangers)
23'
Throw-In
Nedum Onuoha (Queens Park Rangers)
23'
Foul
Ben Davies fouled by Andros Townsend (Queens Park Rangers)
22'
Cross
Armand Traoré (Queens Park Rangers)
22'
Throw-In
Nedum Onuoha (Queens Park Rangers)
21'
Throw-In
Ben Davies (Swansea City)
21'
Cross
Ben Davies (Swansea City)
20'
Shot
Pablo Hernández (Swansea City)
18'
Goal
Ángel Rangel (Swansea City)
18'
Shot on Target
Ángel Rangel (Swansea City)
18'
Shot on Target
Ángel Rangel (Swansea City)
17'
Shot on Target
Ángel Rangel (Swansea City)
17'
Cross
Andros Townsend (Queens Park Rangers)
16'
Throw-In
Nathan Dyer (Swansea City)
15'
Foul
Nathan Dyer fouled by Shaun Derry (Queens Park Rangers)
14'
Throw-In
Ben Davies (Swansea City)
14'
Goal Kick
Júlio César (Queens Park Rangers)
14'
Shot on Target
Michu (Swansea City)
13'
Foul
Wayne Routledge fouled by Stephane Mbia (Queens Park Rangers)
11'
Throw-In
Nedum Onuoha (Queens Park Rangers)
11'
Shot
Jonathan De Guzman (Swansea City)
11'
Free Kick
Jonathan De Guzman (Swansea City)
10'
Yellow Card
Yellow Card - Christopher Samba (Queens Park Rangers)
10'
Foul
Michu fouled by Christopher Samba (Queens Park Rangers)
8'
Goal
Michu (Swansea City)
8'
Shot on Target
Michu (Swansea City)
8'
Shot on Target
Nathan Dyer (Swansea City)
8'
Throw-In
Ben Davies (Swansea City)
8'
Throw-In
Armand Traoré (Queens Park Rangers)
7'
Throw-In
Ángel Rangel (Swansea City)
5'
Goal Kick
Júlio César (Queens Park Rangers)
4'
Cross
Jonathan De Guzman (Swansea City)
3'
Throw-In
Armand Traoré (Queens Park Rangers)
3'
Corner Kick
Jonathan De Guzman (Swansea City)
1'
Throw-In
Nedum Onuoha (Queens Park Rangers)
1'
Start Half

The full-time scoreline tells you everything you need to know. Swansea were a class above their relegation-threatened opponents today, and they are looking in extremely good nick for the upcoming Capital One Cup final against Bradford. As for QPR, the signs look ominous - they were simply second best in every department this afternoon, and with Man Utd rolling into town next week, they will have to lick their wounds and recover sharpish. Two outstanding goals by Pablo Hernandez and Michu perfectly summarised the difference in quality between these two teams, and it will have to be a toss of a coin to see who gets the man of the match award out of those two. Something tells me Michael Laudrup's post-match glass of red wine may taste a little sweeter than Harry Redknapp's tonight.
Neil Swarbrick puts QPR out of their misery as he blows his whistle. The Liberty Stadium is bouncing.
There will be three minutes of stoppage time here, and the visitors are desparately close to scoring the best goal of the game. Bobby Zamora's delightful chip over the Swansea defence is met by subsitute Shaun Wright-Phillips, who strikes the bar with his acrobatic volley. That's their best moment of the game.
Pablo Hernandez certianly felt that one - he is caught by a stray Stephane Mbia elbow as the two jump for a high ball. It's not clear whether that was intentional or not, but the referee decides against giving anything. What is clear is that QPR are heading for their 100th Premier League loss. Not the most pleasant of milestones.....
Despite having a three-goal cushion and being in complete control of the match, Swansea have not dropped their intensity whatsoever, and their defence has been nearly faultless. QPR do have a free shot at goal here though, with a central free-kick 30 yards out. Stephane Mbia takes it but it strikes the bottom of the wall. Mbia must be very persuasive, because Taarabt and Granero were also standing over the ball there.
Michael Laudrup decides that Michu has done his job today, as he replaces the Spaniard with Luke Moore. QPR fans will be delighted to have seen the back of him this season - then again, what team wouldn't be? Another stellar performance to add to his collection.
Give the lad his due - Adel Taarabt has been fantastic in this second-half. He's been a class above all of his team-mates. The man from Morocco picks up the ball on the wing, cuts inside, taking on man after man (not for the first time today), before bending a lovely effort just past the far post. He's been involved in nearly half of QPR's goals this season, and you can certainly see why today.
Comedy capers of the highest order from the QPR back line. The ball is allowed to pinball around the area, bouncing off oblivious defenders, before going out for a corner. This is the same side that won at Stamford Bridge last month, right?
His first goal had an element of fortune about it - this one doesn't. There looks to be no danger when Pablo Hernandez picks up the ball in the middle of the QPR half, but he sees Michu's darting run across the visitors' back line, and his through ball is executed to perfection. Michu, as he always seems to, keeps his composure, finishing low beyond the despairing dive of Julio Cesar. Superb stuff.
Michu scores his second goal of the game, and with it the three points for Swansea!
It looks like the real Adel Taarabt has stood up in this half. He was the catalyst for his team's goal, and the midfielder nearly scores here. He shimmies past three men with consumate ease, but his finish rattles the side netting. Just looking at replays of that penalty incident - it is so clear that Williams handled as the ball was crossed in - how has the ref missed it?
It's all happening at the Liberty Stadium! I can barely get my breath back, I can't imagine how the players are feeling. The visitors get forward down the left, and a cross reaches Stephane Mbia at the back stick - his volley is cleared off the line by Kyle Bartley, but replays show that Ashley Wiiliams clearly handled the ball as it was travelling. QPR should have a penalty there - Ashley Williams is a very fortunate man.
The QPR renaissance lasted for all of 60 seconds. Straight from the kick-off, the ball is nicely worked to Hernandez, who skips past Chris Samba and Nedum Onuoha, before squeezing the ball under Julio Cesar's legs from the tightest of angles. Call it bad defending, call it bad goalkeeping if you will. But you have to say, that was quite superb from Hernandez.
Pablo Hernandez revives Swansea's two-goal cushion with a brilliant solo goal!
Hello, hello, hello. Hands up who saw this one coming? I thought not. Ben Davies gives the ball away on the left, and from there Adel Taarabt takes over, dribbling towards the edge of the area and shooting towards goal. Much like Michu's goal, it is parried out by the goalkeeper. but only as far as Zamora, who has the simple task of sliding the ball into an empty net.
Bobby Zamora gives QPR an unlikely lifeline in this match!
The QPR players are out very early for this second-half, probably with their ears still ringing I'll bet. There are two new faces as well, as Redknapp looks to change his team's fortunes in this match. Esteban Granero and Bobby Zamora are introduced to the fray.
QPR fans will be hoping this will be a match of two halves, as that was a very poor first 45 minutes. Outplayed, outpassed and even outfought, a 2-0 scoreline actually seems a tad generous for them going into half-time. Swansea, on the flip-side, have been outstanding, and Michael Laudrup will have seldom seen a better half of football from his players, with the only negative point for them being the injury to Chico Flores. Forget tactics, Harry Redknapp's best solution looks to be hanging his head in prayer in the dressing room, and praying that his players perform a miracle in the second-half. Stranger things have happened.....
The whistle eventually blows at the Liberty Stadium, and that is the end of the first period.
Someone give Neil Swarbrick a pat on the back. Armand Traore gives away a foul that has yellow card written all over it, but he lets play to continue as the hosts were on the attack. Then Ben Davies gives away a needless foul for which he is deservedly booked, but the referee goes back to caution Traore.
Swansea have been in the wars here - this time it is Ki Sung-Yeung who is down holding his head. It takes him a fair few minutes to get back up, but he looks fine to continue.
There will be four minutes added on because of that unfortuante injury to Flores. Can QPR make the most of the additional time to snatch a goal back and make this game competitive? Or am I just clutching at straws?
Adel Taarabt sums up the frustration that is undoubtedly being felt by QPR fans up and down the country. He is penalised for a foul in the middle of the pitch, and he doesn't like it one bit, picking out a scuffle with any Swans defender that's in the remote vicinity. He is rewared with a booking.
This is starting to resemble a training match for the hosts. They are spreading the ball around at will, and making their opponents chase shadows here. On this occassion, Nathan Dyer floats a lovely ball into the box for Ki, who got in behind Armand Traore far too easily, but the Swansea man's header is intercepted.
Uh-oh. Chico Flores' afternoon has come to a sad end. He is stretchered off to a standing ovation from the home supporters after landing awkwardly on his ankle. It is Kyle Bartley who comes on to replace him, but that will be a big concern for Michael Laudrup in the lead up to the Capital One Cup final later this month.
We are only a half-hour into this match, but it is very hard to see what Harry Redknapp and his men can do to rectify this. However, it must also be said that Swansea have been brilliant.
Not one player for QPR has turned up by the looks of it today - Taarabt has barely touched the ball, Hill has given away countless free-kicks, and even Jamie Mackie isn't his usual industrial self. The only consolation for their fans is that their team have conceded a goal to arguably the best-named player in the Premier League - something to have a chuckle about, surely?
It's Rangel that scores the goal, but it's Wayne Routledge that will take a lot of the credit here. He picks out the marauding defender with an incisive pass - the Spaniard sees his first effort saved by Julio Cesar, but the goalkeeper can do nothing about the follow-up shot. Great name, great goal.
Angel Rangel puts Swansea two goals to the good!
Nathan Dyer and Michu look to be enjoying themselves here. Both of them have been very impressive so far, and they are just too quick and skillful for the visiting defence. QPR can only succeed in giving away a couple of cynical fouls on the devilish duo as they try to somehow find a way back into this match.
It's his first goal in seven games, and to be fair, it's not the most aesthetically pleasing of goals, but try seeing if Michu cares. Nathan Dyer, who has been a thorn in QPR's side so far, rifles in a shot from 20 yards out - Cesar gets down low to his left to parry it out, but only as far as Michu who mis-kicks his shot horribly, but it spins over the Brazilian and into the net.
Michu puts Swansea into a deserved lead!
QPR haven't started like a team who know they have to win today - they look sluggish to the extreme. It might have something to do with the fact that the Swans are playing at an incredibly high tempo though. Even the usually relaible Juilo Cesar rushes a clearance, scuffing the ball out for a throw-in. Good pressure from the hosts.
Nathan Dyer looking to test the ageing legs of Clint Hill early doors here. He gets in behind down the right, and it's a certain bet that Dyer will beat the defender for speed. Beat him he does, and he forces a corner in the process - it comes to nothing though.
Here we go - it is Swansea who get us under way. Game on.
Swansea: Vorm, Rangel, Flores, Williams, Davies, Ki Sung-Yeung, De Guzman, Dyer, Routledge, Hernandez, Michu. Subs: Tremmel, Tiendalli, Bartley, Agustien, Lamah, Shechter, Moore. QPR: Cesar, Traore, Derry, Samba, Hill, Taarabt, Mackie, Onuoha, Jenas, Townsend, Mbia. Subs: Green, Ji-Sung Park, Wright-Phillips, Granero, Ben-Haim, Zamora, Bothroyd.
Midfielders Leon Britton and Kemy Agustien look doubtful for Swansea to play this afternoon – the former, who has just signed a one-year contract extension has a knee injury, while the latter is suffering from an ankle complaint. The Swans are hopeful that goalkeeper Michel Vorm will recover from a knee problem in time to start the game, however. For the visitors, Junior Hoilett is a definite absentee with a hamstring injury, while Samba Diakite is still on international duty with Mali at the Africa Cup of Nations. Manager Harry Redknapp will wait until the last minute to decide whether to start French striker Loic Remy, who has been suffering from a groin strain.
It is fair to say that Harry Redknapp has done a solid job at Loftus Road since taking over the reins from his predecessor Mark Hughes – his side are unbeaten in 2013, having conceded just one goal in their last five league games. However, strange as it may sound, it is just not enough at the moment for QPR and their fans. While they may have tightened up at the back since the arrival of ‘Arry, they have yet to find the magic solution needed if they are to avoid the dreaded drop this season - that of winning Football matches. Languishing in bottom place, six points adrift of safety - Rangers need to add to their paltry tally of just two league wins this afternoon. If not, avoiding relegation will be as big a struggle as climbing Mount Everest in novelty clown shoes.
A place in the final of the Capital One Cup, sitting nicely in eighth position in the league table, and a striker who has scored 13 goals in the Premier League alone this season – what have Swansea fans got to complain about, I hear you cry? Well, there may be some negative murmurings circulating around the Liberty Stadium regarding the fact that since their remarkable 2-0 win against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on the first day of December, Michael Laudrup's men have won only two of their last 10 Premier League matches. Add to that star striker Michu's run of six league games without a goal (a run that extends to before Christmas), as well as the recent sale of front man Danny Graham, and it is clear that a win for the home side today may be of higher importance than most would have thought.
The saying goes that a wounded animal is a dangerous one, something that Michael Laudrup may be very aware of when QPR roll up to the Liberty Stadium later this afternoon. Just six months ago, his Swansea side gave the Hoops a 5-0 hiding in their own back yard on the first day of the season. In desperate need of a win to ease their relegation troubles, and with the smell of revenge fresh in their nostrils, it would be foolish to take Harry Redknapp's men lightly. On paper, however, QPR's chances of winning this match seem slim – they haven't won away at Swansea since January 1981, and their hosts have lost just one of their last eight matches in the league, and just one of their last nine at home. Then again, when has this sport ever been played on paper?