Queens Park Rangers Vs Everton
Queens Park Rangers Vs Everton Tuesday 21 September, 2021 – 19:45 (BST)
EFL Cup
Pick: Both Teams to Score
Odds: 7/10
Bookmaker: WilliamHill
(All betting odds correct at time of writing: 19 September 2021)
Preview: Third Round EFL Cup action from Loftus Road, as Queens Park Rangers look to put a disappointing period behind them by earning a place in the next round. That will have to come at the expense of Premier League opposition, though, in the shape of injury hit Everton.
Table of Contents
QPR – Mark Warburton’s side don’t do dull?
The R’s overcame League One Oxford United in the previous round, dominating their lower league opponents in a 2-0 victory here at Loftus Road. That was a lot more straightforward than their first round clash against Leyton Orient, requiring penalties to see off the League Two side away from home. Tuesday will see them take on superior opposition for the first time then.
QPR come into the tie having lost twice in a row. However, prior to losses against Bournemouth and Bristol City in the Championship, the West London outfit were unbeaten across all eight competitive fixtures in 2021-22 (W4 D4). Only Fulham have scored more in the second tier this term than their 16, scoring in all eight such fixtures which has resulted in six seeing both teams among the goals.
Key Stat: QPR have conceded a first-half goal in six of eight Championship matches this season. Conversely, 13 of their 16 goals were netted after the half-time interval.
Everton – Benitez’s depleted Toffees vulnerable?
Each of the past four seasons has seen Everton exit the EFL Cup to Premier League opposition, with the last two being at the Quarter-Final stage. Defeat to Championship side QPR would hardly endear former Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez to the blue half of Merseyside therefore. Although they did require a 79th minute winner from Andros Townsend to sneak past similar opposition in the previous round.
Huddersfield very nearly did for the Toffees in the Second Round, and the Terriers are currently one place above Tuesday’s opponents in the Championship standings. So this promises to be another awkward outing for Benitez, who is clearly not helped by an absentee list that continues to grow exponentially. Saturday’s chastening 3-0 defeat to Aston Villa was their first loss of any kind all season, however.
Key Stat: Before a 3-0 loss away to Aston Villa halted their unbeaten record in all competitions in 2021-22, Everton had scored 2+ goals in all five competitive matches this season.
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QPR Vs Everton Betting Advice
With a number of key players seemingly unavailable – goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, full-back and captain Seamus Coleman, as well as forward duo Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin – this potential banana skin is made all the more tricky for Rafael Benitez and Everton. QPR’s form has hit the buffer of late, losing their last two fixtures, but they’ve enjoyed a quietly impressive start to the season all the same.
QPR Vs Everton – Key Facts:
- Everton are bidding for their fifth consecutive win against QPR in all competitions, winning the last of those 2-1 at Loftus Road in March 2015.
- In a sequence going back to 1989, all of the previous nine encounters between the sides held here in West London featured both teams scoring at least one goal apiece.
- Both teams are coming off defeats having both enjoyed strong starts to the season beforehand. QPR beaten 2-1 at home by Bristol City last time out and Everton 3-0 away to Aston Villa.
This should be an enjoyable encounter and I expect to see a fair few goals, even if the visitors are missing their star attackers. QPR have found the net in all ten competitive matches so far this season but only kept the three clean sheets. Everton have scored in five of six matches so far, conceding in all but one. Their respective records for Both Teams to Score reads as follows: 7/10 QPR, 4/6 Everton.
Best Betting Odds – Queens Park Rangers Vs Everton
Queens Park Rangers – 16/5 (WilliamHill)
Draw – 3/1 (Betfair)
Everton = 5/6 (Betway)
