Follow minute-by-minute commentary of the Premier League game between Queens Park Rangers and Manchester City at Loftus Road on Saturday Nov 05 2011, kick-off 17.30 GMT.
| Bothroyd (28) | (HT 1-1) | Dzeko (43) Silva (52) |
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47 mins: High ball into the City box and Joleon Lescott practically has the shirt off Bothroyd's back; no freekick given though. Barton tries a long range effort that comes down with snow on it.
46 mins: 442 for Citeh, they let Joey Barton run at them and he lets fly with a stinging drive that Hart beats away.
18.35 No changes for either side and we're off.
HALF TIME QPR 1 MAN CITY 1 Hard lines on QPR; they were all over City for about 44 minutes and 50 seconds of that, and should probably have been 2-0 up with Anton Ferdinand spurning a free header from close range. City were poor in the main, sluggish and badly organised at the back. But it is still 1-1, and all the danger signs were there in the last few minutes of the half. That's sport though, isn't it? If you get on top against a stronger opponent, you have to kill them when you get your few chances; if not, they hurt you later. Should be a fascinating second 45...
45 mins: QPR cling on and that's the half.
44 mins: QPR are reeling now, City are all over them all of a sudden. Aguero drills a shot from outside the area and it hits the post. QPR on the ropes, praying for the bell/half-time whistle.
GOAL! 43 mins: Excellent play from City. Milner picks out a great pass, proper sliderule job, that opens QPR up. Dzeko receives the ball but he still has a lot to do. Into the area, twisting and turning, leaving Anton Ferdinand looking like a sack of spuds, and then drilling home a low drive that gives the keeper no chance. Really classy goal. QPR 1 Man City 1 (Dzeko 43)
39 mins: Young brings down Aguero on the edge of the QPR box. The forward makes the best of it. Kolarov gets it up and over the wall but not down again.
38 mins: Awful defending by Man City. They look really ragged as QPR break down the right and the cross is hung up in the air. Bothroyd leaps and heads - it beats Joe Hart.... but clips the post and goes behind. Ooh, that should have been two.
35 mins: Warning for QPR though as Aguero, City's brightest attacking player so far, bursts into the area and draws a good save out of Paddy Kenny.
33 mins: Superb football! SWP has a great jinky run, he slips it to Mackie who has a firece drive beaten out by Joe Hart. The follow up falls to QPR's Helguson who is on target with a diving header - and Joe Hart pulls off a brilliant recovery stop. Oh, offside, in fact. But great attacking and superb keeping. Enjoying this game a lot.
29 mins: City nearly hit back right away as Aguero breaks - strong suggestion of handball as he brings the ball down - but City scramble away. City badly need some Kompany at the back. Ta-daaaah! The crowd are going nuts, loving this. Really exciting atmosphere.
GOAL! 28 mins: Another excellent freekick from Joey Barton, perfect delivery from the right touchline. Terrible marking, Bothroyd rises and powers the header into the corner. His marker, SAvic, rooted to the spot. QPR 1 Man City 0 (Bothroyd 28) For the record, QPR were quite lucky to get the freekick in the first place, Bothroyd - for it was he - tumbled over his own feet but the lino thought he was pushed.
26 mins: Quick thinking from Joey B as he takes a quick freekick that would have split the defence clean open were it not for a desperate lunge by Milner, who has been a busy little bee, to cut it out.
24 mins: City are as rattled as they have been all season - but can QPR turn this excellent pressure into goals?
22 mins: Barton delivers a freekick and Helguson tries to latch onto it from deep. They win a corner and it's a repeat dose. Corner from the right,
deep, and Helugson heads back across goal. Anton Ferdinand at the far post! Surely?! But he can't get the head on it, takes his eye off the ball and that is a bad miss from Ferdinand. P
QPR should be one-up.
20 mins: Great tempo from QPR still, but this is hard work and they'll do well to keep it up for the whole match.
18 mins: City are too narrow, they need to stretch more to counter QPR down this left. Frustartions starting to show for Yaya - he's having a pop at some of his team-mates. I reckon Mancini will make a half time change if this doesn't improve. Johnson on, maybe?
15 mins: Great work from Joey B to keep the ball in down the right touchline, he frees Helguson who runs, turns inside and fires in a shot that doesn't really trouble Joe Hart. Excellent first 15 from the hosts, not let City get their passing going.
12 mins: SWP, Traore and Bothroyd are having quite a lot of joy down that left flank; I would say that Milner needs a bit of help there. Individual class though, from Aguero, as he beats two from a seemingly hopeless position down by the corner flag and surges into the area. Corner. Cleared.
10 mins: QPR are unsettling Citeh with a high tempo, and the expensively assembled visiting team is rattled. Traore breaks down the left, it's two on two in the box but the cross is poor and easily cut out.
7 mins: Jamie Mackie is making an impressive start for QPR, his running is direct. City are playing quite narrow and QPR are able to force a corner off Milner. Barton's delivery is decent but the visitors clear. Good pressure, and plenty of heart, you worry that QPR could get caught on the counter. Sweet nutmeg from Faurlin on Yaya, but the move breaks down.
4 mins: SWP jinks into the area and very nearly wriggles through, bless his tiny cotton socks. Great atmosphere in the stadium.
2 mins: Yaya Toure tussles with Bothroyd and gives away a freekick. Joey Barton has a chance to deliver the freekick into the box but Lescott hedas clear. The ball drops to Helguson on the edge of the area, he hits it on the villey but it's well wide. Good start from QPR though, they are getting stuck into City and not letting them settle.
1 min: City look supremely confident, and there's an early warning for QPR as they stand off Gareth Barry. He has time and space for a fierce shot that sails over from 25 yards.
17.30 The strength in depth of the Man City squad really is quite alarming. Look at that bench - if you're an Arsenal fan, look away. We are about to kick off.
17.25 Afternoon all, Tyers here. Welcome to our live minute-by-minute coverage of QPR v Manchester City. We have little time for a lengthy preamble so let me just give you the teams, tell you that I have a tiny little feeling for QPR this evening, and hope that you enjoy the game with us.
QPR: Kenny, Young, Gabbidon, Ferdinand, Traore, Mackie, Barton, Faurlin, Wright-Phillips, Bothroyd, Helguson. Subs: Murphy, Orr, Hill, Derry, Smith, Andrade, Puncheon.
Man City: Hart, Richards, Savic, Lescott, Kolarov, Barry, Toure Yaya, Milner, Silva, Aguero, Dzeko. Subs: Pantilimon, Zabaleta, Johnson, Nasri, Clichy, Toure, Balotelli.
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