Andre Dozzell’s first goal for QPR helped secure a 2-0 victory that leaves winless Middlesbrough at the foot of the Sky Bet Championship.
Dozzell’s powerful strike from outside the area two minutes before half-time put Gareth Ainsworth’s side in command at the Riverside.
And the 24-year-old midfielder, who moved to Loftus Road two years ago from Ipswich, was among the celebrations 19 minutes from time when Jack Colback hammered in the QPR’s second.
It was a much-needed second victory of the season for QPR but one that has left Michael Carrick’s Middlesbrough without a win in five league games.
Neither side posed a threat to either of the goalkeepers in the opening exchanges, despite QPR finding the space down the flanks.
Ilias Chair, who remained at QPR despite reported transfer window interest from Leicester, was involved down the left a couple of times in the opening few minutes.
The Morocco international was able to get to the byline and pick out a team-mate in the area on both occasions without troubling former Rs keeper Seny Dieng’s net.
When QPR did push forward through Chair, Kenneth Paal or Paul Smyth down the opposite flank, Middlesbrough were alert to prevent shots hitting the target.
And it was a similar story in the opposite direction, where Isaiah Jones, Sammy Silvera and Morgan Rogers looked the most likely to create something early on for the hosts.
But the only real chance of note in the first 40 minutes was when Jones controlled a Silvera pass before his shot was stopped by the foot of Asmir Begovic.
That arrived in the 25th minute and Middlesbrough striker Emmanuel Latte Lath was also denied by Begovic 10 minutes later when he tried to beat him from a tight angle.
Smyth highlighted what danger he could pose when he worked his way into the area from the right and his low delivery across the six-yard box was crying out for Sinclair Armstrong to stretch to meet the ball, but it evaded him.
Another Smyth run caused panic in the home defence seconds before Dozzell found himself in loads of space 25 yards from goal. The midfielder’s thunderous drive crashed in off the left-hand post to put QPR ahead.
And in the sixth minute of stoppage time Begovic dived to his right to turn away a downward Darragh Lenihan header from Jonny Howson’s free-kick to keep the visitors in front.
After the restart frustrations started to grow for Middlesbrough.
Lath, who had already been denied by Begovic again, wasted a fantastic situation when Boro had a three-against-one on a counter-attack. QPR were gifted the ball, broke and Dieng prevented Sinclair from scoring at the other end.
Middlesbrough handed second-half appearances to new signings Sam Greenwood and Lewis O’Brien following loan moves from Leeds and Nottingham Forest respectively.
And Begovic was on hand once more to prevent Lath scoring after the striker linked up with Silvera in the penalty area on the hour.
Soon after a phantom whistle brought a short interruption in play, QPR had the important second goal.
Smyth again got to the line and beyond full-back Lukas Engel. His low cross led to Chair’s shot being blocked before former Newcastle and Sunderland midfielder Colback powered his drive into the net, and there was no way back for Boro after that.
Gvardiol unfazed by Alvarez taking penalty as defender gives up hat-trick chance
Josko Gvardiol had no problem with Julian Alvarez taking a late penalty in Manchester City's 4-0 rout of Fulham, as he passed up the chance to score a memorable Premier League hat-trick.
Gvardiol scored in both halves as City crushed Marco Silva's men at Craven Cottage on Saturday, going top of the table ahead of Arsenal's trip to Manchester United on Sunday.
The defender slotted his finish into the bottom-left corner after exchanging passes with Kevin De Bruyne for his first, then stretched to prod Bernardo Silva's cross under Bernd Leno for his brace.
It looked like he might get the chance to make it a treble when Alvarez won a stoppage-time penalty, and the Croatian was deep in conversation with his team-mates around the spot before the Argentine dispatched the kick.
Speaking to TNT Sports after the game, Gvardiol revealed he did put his name forward but had no qualms with regular taker Alvarez stepping up.
"Another two goals for me and of course another clean sheet, so I'm really happy," he said.
"We discussed me taking the penalty, and of course I said I would have liked to take it, but we know who the taker is, and he takes them."
After not scoring in any of his first 32 appearances for City across all competitions, Gvardiol has now netted five goals in his last seven games for the club.
None of his five goals have been scored with his favoured left foot, with four coming from his right and one via his head.
Asked what he put his hot streak down to, he added: "Nothing different, I think that is just normal in sports.
"Currently I am in good form and the end of the season is coming, we have three more finals and we've got to be ready. We just need to be focused on ourselves and keep going in that way.
Fulham only managed one shot in a flat performance, recording six touches in their opponents' area to City's 38.
Their hopes of a top-half finish are now officially over, but Silva is proud of their efforts this term, saying: "It was a successful season with the context of what happened in the summer.
"We had to rebuild and we did it really well. We did not have the power of the other teams but it was a success. Now is the moment to sit with the board and discuss what the possibilities are.
"If we want to take a step forward, we need to be clear and find out what the steps are in the market and go from there."
Arteta warns Arsenal they must be at their best to beat Man Utd at Old Trafford
Mikel Arteta has cautioned his Arsenal team they must be "at their best" if they are to beat Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.
After title rivals Manchester City won 4-0 at Fulham on Saturday to put Pep Guardiola's men within two victories of the Premier League title, Arsenal will look to keep the pressure on with a triumph at Old Trafford.
Those have been hard to come by of late for the Gunners, however, winning just one of their last 16 Premier League visits to United.
With that history in mind, Arteta knows his side will have to put in a top performance to claim the three points on Sunday, telling reporters: "I think every game has a different context.
"We know the difficulty. It's in our history when you look at what we've done over there. So we're going to have to be at our best to win the game."
United come into the contest in poor form, with a run of two wins in 10 league outings leaving them with an uphill battle if they are to qualify for any form of European football next season.
The Red Devils are currently eighth, six points behind fifth-placed Tottenham, and Erik ten Hag watched his side get hammered 4-0 at Crystal Palace on Monday.
However, Ten Hag still feels he has the backing of the United owners, saying: "They have common sense.
"They see when you have 32 different backlines, when you lose eight centre-backs and when we don't have a left full-back. They know that will have a negative impact on results."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Manchester United – Marcus Rashford
Rashford has been involved in six goals in his last four Premier League starts against Arsenal, scoring four and assisting two. Overall, his 10 goal involvements against the Gunners (six goals, four assists) is his most against a single opponent in the Premier League, and he will look to once again haunt Arsenal on Sunday.
Arsenal – Bukayo Saka
Saka is an injury doubt for Sunday, which would be a bitter blow to their chances of victory considering his record against United. The winger has been involved in five Premier League goals against United (three goals, two assists), registering a goal (three) or assist (one) in each of his last four against them. Only Thierry Henry (12) has had a hand in more against the Red Devils for Arsenal than Saka in the competition.
MATCH PREDICTION – ARSENAL WIN
Arsenal are looking to complete the league double over United for the first time since the 2006-07 campaign, while they last won three in a row against the Red Devils between November 1997 and September 1998.
Having failed to score in 12 of their first 22 Premier League away games against United, Arsenal have found the net in each of their last nine league visits to Old Trafford.
The Gunners have though lost their final away league game in three of their four previous seasons under Arteta, with the exception being a 3-1 win at Palace in 2020-21. However, the Gunners are unbeaten when facing Manchester United in their final Premier League away game (one win, two draws), securing the title with a 1-0 win in 2001-02.
United have conceded 81 goals in all competitions this season, last conceding more in a single campaign back in 1970-71 (82).
United have also lost 18 games in all competitions this season, last losing more in a single campaign in 1977-78 (19).
Arsenal have kept 10 clean sheets away from home in the Premier League this season, last keeping more on the road in a single top-flight campaign in 1990-91 (13), and despite their poor recent record at Old Trafford, they look the favourites to pick up three much-needed points on Sunday.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Man Utd: 28.7%
Arsenal: 43.1%
Draw: 28.2%
Al-Ittihad 0-5 Al-Ettifaq: Ekambi scores hat-trick in five-star display
Karl Toko Ekambi netted a hat-trick as Al-Ettifaq got back to winning ways in style with a 5-0 thrashing of Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League on Friday.
He scored twice in four minutes at the end of the first half to send the visitors into the break 4-0 up before getting his third just 10 minutes after the break.
Seko Fofana had already given Steven Gerrard’s side the lead five minutes into the contest, while Moussa Dembele doubled their advantage from the penalty spot.
Al-Ittihad had the chances, but they could not find the back of the net, as they stayed fifth, but are now just six points above Al-Ettifaq.
Data Debrief: Clinical finishers
Al-Ettifaq had five shots on target against Al-Ittihad, scoring with all of them while creating an xG of 3.62.
With his hat-trick against Al-Ittihad, Ekambi has now scored 11 goals for the season, netting more than once for the first time since joining the club.
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