Hull City entertain Queens Park Rangers at the KC Stadium on Saturday afternoon, where they will be looking to prolong their winning home start since dropping down to the Championship.
Visitors QPR have taken just one point from the last six on offer overall, meanwhile, and are in desperate need of a kick-start at a ground they have notoriously struggled at in the past.
Hull City
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The Tigers may have struggled for consistency since their relegation into the second tier, failing to win back-to-back games thus far, but they have made a decent enough start to life back in the Championship.
A first away win of the campaign at Cardiff City in midweek helped lift Hull up to fourth place in the early league standings - just one point off the automatic promotion zone.
Abel Hernandez has proved to be a key player so far this season, finding the net three times in his five league outings to help spearhead the Tigers' push for an instant return to the top flight.
It is not just Hernandez thriving since May's relegation, either, with Hull turning the KC Stadium into something of a fortress by claiming maximum points from their three games on Humberside so far.
Victory over a QPR side who themselves have eyes for the top six will help strengthen City's promotion aspirations, fresh on the back of losing last weekend's top-of-the-table clash with Brighton & Hove Albion.
Steve Bruce, one of the most respected managers outside of the Premier League, has assembled a squad that is more than capable of matching the achievements of the class of 2013 in escaping the Championship.
In defence, where Curtis Davies, Michael Dawson and Alex Bruce provide a brick wall in between summer signing Moses Odubajo and Andrew Robertson, Hull have a team well set up to win promotion from the back.
The statistics go a long way to underlining that, with only one side - Middlesbrough - conceding fewer goals across the opening seven fixtures of what is likely to be yet another gruelling season.
Recent form in Championship: DWLWLW
Recent form (all competitions): WLWWLW
Queens Park Rangers
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While things looked rosy all of a sudden heading into the recent international break for Rangers, one point from two games since the resumption of play has seen their campaign stagnate somewhat.
Following the disappointment of letting a two-goal lead slip at home to Cardiff in mid-August, Ramsey put the wheels in motion to guide his side to a three-game winning streak.
QPR again let a lead evaporate at home to Nottingham Forest last weekend, though that was largely down to the red card picked up by experienced stopper Robert Green with 20 minutes left to play.
In fact, this inability to see out games is costing Ramsey's charges dearly, with no side in the division having conceded more goals in the second half of games than the Hoops' tally of nine.
On the flip side of this, nine of QPR's last 10 goals have been scored in the second 45 minutes, providing late drama aplenty in recent weeks as far as the West London outfit are concerned.
Yet despite taking one point from the last six, Rangers still find themselves hovering just a single point and two places below their target of the top six.
There is no denying that mistakes will have to be cut out of their game if this side is to have any hope of returning to the big time, however, with Ramsey admitted as much following the 2-2 draw against Blackburn Rovers.
Boosted by the retention of Charlie Austin, Matty Phillips and Green at the end of the transfer window, it is now time for QPR to find their feet once more and push for the playoff zone.
Recent form in Championship: DWWWLD
Recent form (all competitions): WWLWLD
Team News
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Green remains suspended, which could see Ramsey name an unchanged side for this one despite the disappointment of being held by a struggling Blackburn side last time out.
Jamie Mackie and Alejandro Faurlin did return to the R's bench for that stalemate, but it remains to be seen if they will be fit enough to start from the off.
In terms of the hosts, they may turn to Chuba Akpom up top, though injury permitting it is unlikely that Bruce will want to disrupt things too much at this stage.
The Tigers switched to a five-man defence for the trip to South Wales, making four changes in all, with a more settled side expected for the visit of QPR.
Hull City possible starting lineup:
McGregor; Odubajo, Bruce, Dawson, Davies, Robertson; Clucas, Huddlestone, Diame; Aluko, Hernandez
Queens Park Rangers possible starting lineup:
Smithies; Perch, Onuoha, Angella, Konchesky; Tozser, Henry; Phillips, Luongo Chery; Austin
Head To Head
Hull have lost just one of their last seven league meetings against QPR, but three of those games did end all square.
The Hoops have failed to win on Humberside since February 1970, meanwhile, in a run that has seen them lose three and draw five of their eight trips there.
It was the Tigers who claimed a Premier League double last season, too, winning 1-0 at Loftus Road on the opening day and 2-1 at the KC Stadium in a dramatic return fixture earlier this year.
We say: Hull City 2-1 Queens Park Rangers
QPR have shipped two goals in a game six times already this season, which is in stark contrast to a defensively resilient Hull side. This is also a fixture that Rangers tend to struggle in, so all signs point to a home win on this occasion.
No Data Analysis info
