Match Preview
Upon looking at this fixture at the beginning of the season, Stoke fans would never have dreamed it would be a relegation dogfight. But that's exactly what it has become, thanks to a horrific run of form that has seen Tony Pulis' side pick up just five points in 2013. Though QPR are used to being in this position, and have been in the bottom three ever since the start of the season, this is an entirely new scenario for the Potters, who are so often accustomed to finishing in the comfort of mid-table. Yet now they find themselves a mere three points clear of 18th-place Wigan, who have a game in hand. These are worrying times for Stoke fans, and their task this weekend will be made all the more difficult by the fact that QPR will be scrapping for their very lives, and have only been defeated once on this ground once since the start of the season. A win for the hosts would give them but fleeting hope of survival - a defeat for the visitors would leave Pulis' side staring at the once unthinkable prospect of Premier League oblivion.
Predicted Scoreline
QPR 1 - 2 Stoke Though the R's are not mathematically relegated, they will be so in all but name by the end of the weekend. Stoke need to wake up, and fast. They have been in a tailspin since Christmas and their form has been as poor as it has been in any of Tony Pulis' six seasons in charge. They need to get their act together, and sharpish, and I expect them to do so this weekend.