Queens Park Rangers have managed to secure their first win of the season after triumphing over Fulham at Loftus Road.
The West London outfit snatched the three points courtesy of a 2-1 victory this afternoon with Adel Taarabt claiming an impressive brace to put the Cottagers on the backfoot.
The home side have climbed off the bottom spot in the Premier League table, while Fulham remain in 13th place.
Here, Sports Mole takes a look back at the 90 minutes of action from Loftus Road.
Match statistics:
QPR:
Shots 19
On target 9
Possession 52%
Corners 3
Fouls 10
Fulham:
Shots 6
On target 3
Possession 48%
Corners 3
Fouls 14
Was the result fair?
Largely, yes. Queens Park Rangers worked hard for their three points and they shot out of the blocks at the start of the first half and while the majority of the first 45 was rather scrappy and neither side made an impact, Fulham were unable to find their stride throughout the whole 90 minutes.
QPR's performance
As mentioned above, QPR started off strongly and looked fired up for the London derby but their dominance petered out after the first 10 minutes or so due to a number of misplaced passes and shots off target. Adel Taarabt was the standout player for the home side as he inspired his team by clinching the first goal and later securing the winner.
Fulham's performance
Martin Jol's men failed to make an impact on the game and they looked sluggish at times. While striker Dimitar Berbatov has been an outstanding addition to the Cottagers since his summer move from Manchester United, the Bulgarian was relatively quiet minus a few quality touches. Mladen Petric managed to clinch a goal in the second half but with only a matter of minutes left in the half, they were unable to snatch a point.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Adel Taarabt: The Morocco international was frustrating at times but he was the driving force for QPR today and looked the most dangerous for the home side throughout. Taarabt managed to get the first goal and gave his side a cushion by clinching a stunning second goal.
Biggest gaffe
This would have to go to Djibril Cisse's missed chance. The Frenchman worked hard throughout the game but his final touch wasn't there and at one point in the second half the former Liverpool frontman had the chance to double QPR's lead after snatching a free ball. He tried to curl the ball into the net, despite having a rather open chance but his shot went wide.
Referee performance
Martin Atkinson had a relatively quiet game but you could argue that Steve Sidwell could have seen red after committing a number of unnecessary fouls throughout the game.
What next?
QPR: The R's travel to the North-East to take on Newcastle United at St James' Park next weekend.
Fulham: The Cottagers have an away fixture against Liverpool at Anfield scheduled for next weekend.
Danielle Joynson
