The Manchester derby aside, arguably the most eagerly anticipated fixture of the weekend will be at Loftus Road where this season’s Championship pace-setters QPR welcome in-form Nottingham Forest. The Reds have rocketed up the table in recent weeks and now have the league leaders and a place in the Premier League firmly in their sights.
After a slow start to the current campaign in which they failed to muster a solitary win until mid-September, Billy Davies’ side have gradually re-discovered the form which earned them a spot in last season’s play-offs. Saturday’s victory over Watford was their sixth on the bounce – remarkably all by a single goal – and propelled them into the automatic promotion places for the first time this season.
An unbeaten start to 2011 has elevated Forest eight places and to within five points of top spot. 10 points separate the top six teams and with two games in hand over most of their promotion rivals, there is no surprise some are now backing the Reds to be the best-placed challengers to wrestle the title away from QPR’s grasp.
Still yet to taste defeat on their own patch in 2010/11, Forest’s rise up the table is largely thanks to a watertight rearguard which boasts the second best defensive record in the division. In the shape of ex-Ranger Lee Camp, they have one of the best goalkeepers at this level while Lewis McGugan has been the stand-out performer with 11 goals from midfield.
If there is any criticism, Robert Earnshaw will surely have expected to have bagged more than the measly 5 goals to his name this season – still some way short of the 17 he notched last year. But even he can do no wrong with the home faithful right now after the much-travelled Welshman went head-over-heels (quite literally) after netting three times in Forest’s comprehensive league double over their old adversaries from Pride Park.
Bragging rights aside, supporters at the City Ground will know they now face their ultimate test against the league leaders, who have steadied their own ship after a stuttering start to 2011. Neil Warnock’s men won just one of their five games in January but back-to-back victories mean the Rs are still odds-on favourites to lift the Championship trophy come the final reckoning in May.
The trip to West London could well prove to be a defining moment in this season’s title race and three points for the visitors is sure to leave QPR looking nervously over their shoulders as the season approaches its final furlong.
After running out of steam in the play-offs last season, do Forest have enough in their tank to go all the way this time around?
