West Ham United 1-1 QPR: Championship Match Report

West Ham United were awarded a penalty after Pablo had his shirt pulled by Amadou Mbengue in the 90th minute. Jarrod Bowen took the penalty kick which was saved by Pierce Charles and then he saved the follow up shot from Arne Engels to deny West Ham United the three points. Pierce Charles made two world class saves to help his side take a point from the London Stadium.

After a two week international break both sides welcomed back players from international games around Europe.

West Ham United started the evening 2nd in the SKYBET Championship with 15 points from 8 matches, two points behind league leaders Swansea City. Queens Park Rangers started the day in 6th place with 13 points from 8 games.

West Ham United came into the game with four wins, one draw and one loss. The results were a 2-2 draw at the Den against Millwall, a 2-3 home defeat by Fulham in the Carabao Cup 3rd Round, 6-0 home win over Wrexham, 3-2 away win against Bolton Wanderers, 3-0 home win over Derby County and a 4-2 home win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Queens Park Rangers came into the game off the back of two wins, three draws and one loss. The results were a 2-2 home draw with Preston North End last time out. Previous to that they played out a 1-1 draw at the Hawthorns against West Bromwich Albion, lost 0-1 at home to Middlesbrough, beat Cardiff City 2-1 at home, beat Blackburn Rovers 2-1 away at Ewood Park and drew 0-0 at home to Bolton Wanderers.

West Ham United manager Nuno Espirito Santo started with a 4-4-2 formation with Mads Hermansen in goal, then a back four of Kyle Walker-Peters, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Maximillian Kilman and Morato then a four man midfield of captain Jarrod Bowen, Tomas Soucek, Arne Engels and Manor Solomon with two strikers in Divine Mukasa and Taty Castellanos. West Ham United made one change from last time out with Tomas Soucek coming in for Joel Piroe.

Queens Park Rangers manager Julien Stephan started with a 4-2-3-1 formation with Pierce Charles in goal, then a back four of Kealey Adamson, captain Jimmy Dunne, Jake Clarke-Salter and Boy Kemper then two holding midfielders in Nicolas Madsen and Glen Kamara then three midfielders in Paul Smyth, Ronnie Edwards and Kwame Poku with Rayan Kolli up front making his first appearance of the season for the Hoops. QPR made five changes from last time out.

Queens Park Rangers brought in Kealey Adamson, Jake Clarke-Salter, Paul Smyth, Rayan Kolli and Boy Kemper for Dennis Cirkin, Amadou Mbengue, Jonathan Varane, Rumarn Burrell and Leon Scarlett.

The previous three results between the two sides was an FA Cup 3rd Round tie in 2025 which West Ham United won 2-1 at the London Stadium. In April 2015 QPR drew 0-0 at Loftus Road in the Premier League with a Charlie Austin penalty saved and in October 2014 West Ham United won 2-0 at Upton Park. It was QPR's first visit for a League Match to the London Stadium.

Prior to kick off West Ham United and Queens Park Rangers players, officials and fans stood to remember former Czech goalkeeper Ludek Miklosko who had passed away on 13th September. The goalkeeper was remembered on the cover of the match programme.

West Ham United kicked off the first half wearing their traditional claret and blue with white shorts and socks. Queens Park Rangers were in their traditional blue and white hoops with blue shorts and socks.

Both sides started the game well with players pumped up after the international break. The Hammers will go top with a victory whilst a victory for Queens Park Rangers will see them leap frog the home side.

Queens Park Rangers were put under no pressure by West Ham United in the opening six minutes as the Hoops started well. Paul Smyth on the left wing was lively for the visitors as he pressed Kyle Walker-Peters back.

West Ham United came forward through Kyle Walker-Peters down the right flank and he crossed into the penalty area where Jarrod Bowen teed up a left footed over head kick which went wide of Pierce Charles in the Queens Park Rangers goal.

Queens Park Rangers came forward in the 15th minute and were awarded a penalty after Tomas Soucek appeared to foul Paul Smyth and referee Ruebyn Ricardo awarded a penalty kick but with no VAR the penalty was given even though it was clearly not a penalty. It was a terrible decision by the referee which went in favour of the Hoops. Arne Engels was yellow carded in the 17th minute.

Nicolas Madsen took the penalty kick and rolled the ball into the net to make it 0-1 to the visitors in the 18th minute with a cool conversion.

Queens Park Rangers long throw in the 21st minute by Paul Smyth aimed for Jimmy Dunne came to nothing for the visitors. In the 23rd minute Kwame Poku crossed to the back post for Paul Smyth but the referee awarded a goal kick. Boy Kemper was yellow carded in the 24th minute for kicking the ball away.

Queens Park Rangers played 4-4-2 when attacking but when defending 5-4-1. West Ham United fans started to get fed up with the way they were playing so manager Nuno Espirito Santo will need to have strong words at the interval.

August 1993 was Queens Park Rangers last away win at Upton Park which was a 4-0 victory when Les Ferdinand bagged a brace of goals. Queens Park Rangers passed the ball quickly with some lovely one touch play when they came forward.

Paul Smyth was off for a minute after a head injury when he ran into Maximillian Kilman in the 33rd minute. Boy Kemper marked Jarrod Bowen well for the opening thirty-five minutes of the game.

West Ham United allowed Queens Park Rangers a lot of space with Nicolas Madsen, Glen Kamara and Ronnie Edwards running the midfield well in support of Rayan Kolli, Kwame Poku and Paul Smyth.

There was little cohesion in the West Ham United side, it was slow and ponderous play which was not exciting the home supporters. West Ham United obtained a corner after a cross by Morato was ripped over the cross bar for a corner by Pierce Charles in the 38th minute. The resultant corner came to nothing and Queens Park Rangers counter attacked quickly through Kwame Poku and he found Rayan Kolli who saw a curling right footed shot pushed away by Mads Hermansen in the 39th minute.

Queens Park Rangers were well drilled in defence and electric on the counter attack. The visitors could have gone 2-0 up had Rayan Kolli's effort sneaked in. West Ham United had a free kick in the 41st minute after Paul Smyth had made a foul and the free kick was taken by Arne Engels to the back post but the cross was punched away by Pierce Charles. West Ham United were awarded a free kick in the 43rd minute after Glen Kamara had fouled Jarrod Bowen.

Queens Park Rangers led 1-0 at half time. Nuno Espirito Santo replaced Kyle Walker-Peters and Tomas Soucek with Edvin Austbo and Pablo in the 46th minute.

Queens Park Rangers kicked off the second half 1-0 up. Pablo went up top with Taty Castellanos with Edvin Austbo going into the right wing back position as he did at Millwall last time out.

Paul Smyth came forward on the counter attack with pace in the 47th minute but his cross into Kwame Poku was intercepted by Konstantinos Mavropanos in the 48th minute.

West Ham United were more purposeful in the second half after the substitutions and Manor Solomon obtained a soft free kick after a challenge by Kealey Adamson in the 54th minute. The resultant free kick taken by Arne Engels which went to the back post where Queens Park Rangers cleared the ball up field.

Paul Smyth came into the West Ham United penalty area in the 55th minute but Konstantinos Mavropanos made a telling tackle to deny the Northern Irishman before he could shoot on goal.

In the 57th minute after a quick counter attack when Queens Park Rangers were four on three Kwame Poku's left footed shot was blocked by Morato who was on loan from Nottingham Forest.

Queens Park Rangers manager Julien Stephan brought on Harvey Vale for Paul Smyth in the 60th minute. Maximillian Kilman was yellow carded after a duel with Rayan Kolli on the half way line in the 62nd minute.

Kealey Adamson the Australian defender for Queens Park Rangers looked impressive as did Boy Kemper in the other wing back position for the Hoops.

Morato was yellow carded in the 65th minute. West Ham United manager Nuno Espirito Santo made further substitutions with Joel Piroe and Lewis Orford coming on for Manor Solomon and Divine Mukasa in the 68th minute.

Queens Park Rangers replaced Rayan Kolli and Boy Kemper with Richard Kone and Tariq Lamptey in the 69th minute. West Ham United equalised in the 70th minute after Jarrod Bowen cut in from the right flank and saw his shot blocked but the ball came back into his path and he fired home to make it 1-1 with the follow up.

Having equalised West Ham United looked the more likely to go on to win but Queens Park Rangers were still dangerous on the counter attack. Jarrod Bowen saw a right footed shot go narrowly over the cross bar in the 76th minute.

Queens Park Rangers manager Julien Stephan brought on Amadou Mbengue for Kwame Poku in the 80th minute.

West Ham United fans could smell a late winning goal as the Hoops were penned back in their own half. Edvin Austbo saw a right footed shot saved by Pierce Charles in the 85th minute. Jarrod Bowen saw a weak left footed shot pushed away by Pierce Charles for a corner in the 86th minute.

Kealey Adamson limped off in the 87th minute with West Ham United about to take a corner but the defender had to leave the field. The resultant corner came to nothing for the Hammers.

West Ham United were awarded a penalty after Pablo had his shirt pulled by Amadou Mbengue in the 90th minute. Amadou Mbengue was yellow carded and Richard Kone followed him into the book in the 90th+1 minute. Jarrod Bowen took the penalty kick which was saved by Pierce Charles and then Charles saved the follow up from Arne Engels. Pierce Charles made two world class saves.

West Ham United travel to Lincoln City in the week whilst Queens Park Rangers host Derby County in W12.