West Ham United have endured a disappointing 2025/26 campaign in the Premier League, and they will look to do well in the cup competitions, starting with the game vs QPR in the FA Cup third round.
The home fans will be expecting a strong performance from the players here. The Hammers are the better team on paper, and regardless of their form, they should be able to get the job done and progress through the next round of the competition.
West Ham are coming into this game on the back of five defeats from their last six matches in all competitions. It remains to be seen whether the players can step up and produce an impressive performance.
On the other hand, QPR have failed to win four of their last six matches in all competitions. They will look to pull off an upset here. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Lukasz Fabianski will miss out due to a lower-back injury. El Hadji Malick Diouf is away for AFCON with Senegal. West Ham United will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs QPR, with Alphonse Areola in goal.
Kyle Walker-Peters and Max Kilman will start as the full-backs. They will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. Konstantinos Mavropanos will start alongside Jean-Clair Todibo in the central defensive partnership.
As for the midfield unit, Tomas Soucek will start alongside Soungoutou Magassa in the double pivot. They will look to add defensive cover and physicality to the midfield. Mateus Fernandes will start as the attacking midfielder here, and he will look to create goalscoring chances for his teammates.
Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta will add creativity, flair, and goals from the flanks. Finally, Callum Wilson will spearhead the West Ham United attack vs QPR this weekend.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Areola; Walker-Peters, Mavropanos, Todibo, Kilman; Soucek, Magassa; Bowen, Fernandes, Paqueta; Wilson
The away side are without Jake Clarke-Salter, Ilias Chair, Ziyad Larkeche, and Liam Morrison through injuries. Rumarn Burrell and Jonathan Varane have picked up knocks, and they are likely to miss out as well.
QPR will shape up in a 4-4-2 formation vs West Ham United, with Paul Nardi in goal. Amadou Mbengue and Rhys Norrington-Davies will start in the full-back areas and look to keep things tight at the back and help out during transitions. Jimmy Dunne and Steve Cook will start in central defence for QPR.
Karamoko Dembele and Paul Smyth will look to add pace, flair and drive to the team from the wide areas. They will look to protect the full-backs as well. In the middle of the park, Nicolas Madsen will start alongside Sam Field. Finally, Rayan Kolli will lead the line for the away team alongside Richard Kone.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Nardi; Mbengue, Dunne, Cook, Norrington-Davies; Dembele, Madsen, Field, Smyth; Kolli, Kone
The West Ham United captain is our key player to watch out for. Bowen will look to exploit QPR’s defensive vulnerability and punish them in the final third. He will look to create opportunities for his teammates and find the back of the net.
West Ham will be depending on the English international to bail them out in the final third. It will be interesting to see if Bowen can step up and produce a match-winning performance for the East London outfit here.
Both teams will look to put up a fight here, and they will be desperate for a victory. Neither side is in particularly good form, and this could be an entertaining affair. However, West Ham are the better team, and they have a stronger squad.
Despite their struggles, the hosts should be able to navigate the challenge from QPR here. A comfortable home win is on the cards for the Premier League team. QPR will put up a fight here, but they are likely to come up short. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for Nuno Espirito Santo and his charges.
