Good afternoon and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage of today's Premier League match between Manchester City and Queens Park Rangers at the Etihad Stadium.
This fixture will always hold the fondest of memories for Man City fans as it is a repeat of that famous occasion when Sergio Aguero won the title of the Blues in the most dramatic of fashions at the end of last season.
There will be no Aguero this time, however, as he is still injured, with Carlos Tevez and Edin Dzeko starting for Roberto Mancini's men.
City have made a decent start to the season with one win and one draw, while QPR lost their first game 5-0 before drawing 1-1 with Norwich last weekend.
7.31pmRight then, that is all from me tonight! I hope you've enjoyed reading the action as much as I've enjoyed watching it (maybe even a bit more). Stay tuned on Sports Mole for match analysis, news and reaction, coming to a computer near you soon. Good night!
7.28pmWith the victory, City move up to fourth in the table with seven points from their opening three games, while QPR remain on the solitary point, and in the relegation zone. Uh-oh.
7.26pmAs always, we have the report hot off the press and ready for you already, you can find it here.
7.25pmThere you have it, a thoroughly deserved win for the champions. QPR still look like they have work to do, despite all of the new faces at Loftus Road.
90+5 minFULL-TIME Manchester City 3-1 Queens Park Rangers
90+5 minA dangerous cross from Milner is well cleared, although there was no-one in there to meet it for City
90+2 minThere's the game for City! Tevez gets the ball on the edge of the area before feeding Dzeko. Dzeko's shot then hits Tevez before going in. Whose goal is it? I have Tevez as my captain in fantasy football, so let's give it to him. Also, Dzeko's shot looked to be going wide. By some distance.
90+2 minGOAL! Tevez
90+2 minFive minutes of stoppage time if you're wandering, by the way.
90 minNothing comes from the free kick, though, as City try a move rather than just whipping it into the box.
89 minDzeko draws the free kick with a powerful run, and it's in a dangerous position here. Dzeko felled by the imposing figure of Shaun Wright-Phillips.
89 minAnother change for City, off comes Nasri and on comes Razak.
88 minCity knock the ball around on the edge of the area until Milner loses it. If he was brought on to keep the ball, he hasn't done well so far.
84 minCisse is introduced as Hughes goes for the equaliser. He comes on in place of debutant Esteban Granero.
84 minYellow card for Bobby Zamora, who is wearing a bandage around his head Terry Butcher-esque. Not sure what the card was for though...
82 minHe's called into action in attack first, but his cross is poor with Dzeko waiting at the far post.
81 minJames Milner is coming on for David Silva. Milner can certainly do a job defensively as well as offensively. Caution is the name of the game for Mancini, it seems.
80 minCity's defence has been questioned at times already this season, and they'll need to hold out to go some way to answering those questions today.
78 minQPR are the team pushing forward here, and City are getting as many men in their own half as they can. That'd be 11, then.
77 minCHANCE! Another chance for QPR! A whipped free kick evades everyone, with Nelson (again) missing the ball by an inch. Great ball in.
75 minCHANCE! A corner from QPR finds the head of Nedum Onuoha, who heads it back across to an unmarked Ryan Nelson. The centre-back went for an acrobatic volley, however, and his shot trickled harmlessly wide.
74 minChanges for both sides as Zabaleta comes off for Kolo Toure, while Dyer comes on for Faurlin. Meanwhile, Rodwell picks up a yellow.
68 minSilva darts into his usual dangerous hole before playing through Dzeko, who fluffs his shot wide. The striker, he'll be glad to hear, was offside anyway though.
67 minFerdinand has left the field to be replaced by former City man Onuoha as QPR come forward in numbers, only for City to eventually get it clear.
65 minQPR are determined to make this match every bit as dramatic as these two sides' last meeting, but Bosingwa's shot is straight at Hart.
65 minThat was Man City's 200th Premier League goal in the Mancini era.
61 minCity have hit straight back! Carlos Tevez pulls the ball back to Dzeko, who heads home to give City the lead again. 2-1!
61 minGOAL! (Dzeko)
58 minWow! Unbelieveable scenes here, QPR are level! City have dominated all game, but good work from Andy Johnson undoes them. Hart saves his initial effort, but then Zamora is on hand to nod in the rebound. 1-1!
58 minGOAL! (Zamora)
54 minDzeko continues to pile the pressure on QPR's goal, this time with a long range effort that flies just past Green's post.
51 minOFF THE BAR! David Silva feeds Pablo Zabaleta, whose curling efforts beats Green all ends up, but hits the woodwork.
49 minIt doesn't look like it is too serious, maybe a shoulder or collarbone injury by the looks of things. Anyway, he's up on his feet and walking off. Get that stretcher out of my sight.
48 minAnton Ferdinand looks hurt here. A stretcher comes on for the centre-back, who is lying on his side with a number of physios gathered around him. Hopefully it's not too serious.
46 minIt was a dominant first half performance from the hosts, can they repeat it in the second period?
45minWe're back underway here at the Etihad, City lead QPR 1-0.
6.27pmCity have conceded two in their last three league games, as well as in the Community Shield, although they didn't lose any of those matches.
6.26pmRemember, though, (as if you could have forgotten) that City led 1-0 in last season's finale too... Surely not?
6.20pmOur half-time report, I should say, the only prediction of how the match is going to end so far has come from me, and my 3-0 is looking feasible so far!
6.20pmAnd if you don't believe me, read our match report, which can be found here, and make your own mind up.
6.17pmSo a half that both sides will be relatively pleased with. City have looked good, and deserve the lead, but Mark Hughes will be happy to have kept that lead down to one goal, and to have seen his side come into the match more as the half wore on.
45+1 minHALF-TIME Man City 1-0 QPR
45+1 minGranero finds space on the edge of the box and tries a shot on the turn, but it's never troubling Hart.
45 minOne minute, to be exact, as that is the stoppage time given by the ref.
44 minStill time for that to change, of course.
44 minNearing half time now and Mancini will be happy with his side's performance. They've been dominant for much of the match, and will only be disaapointed that it's not more than 1-0.
42 min...Granero takes it and Hart does well to punch away under pressure. Wright-Phillips's shot from range is blocked before the ball finds its way back out to Granero, who fluffs his cross this time.
42 minCorner to QPR...
38 minChris Hoy plays advantage for a foul on Dzeko, and City almost go on to score a second.
36 minRodwell wants a penalty for handball as he drives into the QPR area, but the ref shakes his head and waves play on. Correct decision.
33 minCHANCE! Man City break away and a through ball finds David Silva, but the Spaniard is denied by a fantastic last-ditch block.
33 minIt won't come from this one though!
32 minPark buys a free kick for QPR in a good crossing position. They could need a set piece to get a goal.
26 minCHANCE! Nasri gets on the end of a fluid move and tries to poke his effort past Green from inside the box, but the QPR keeper was equal to it.
24 minCity pour forward again, but QPR's defence repel them successfully once again. Rearguard action from Mark Hughes's men.
20 minCity are knocking the ball around nicely here, and almost get through as Silva plays Kolarov through, but the defender tries to pull it back when Dzeko was waiting for the square ball.
15 minYou have to say that it was coming. After just 15 minutes, City take the lead. The corner floats over and the ball is hooked back to Yaya Toure, who volleys the ball into the gournd and past Rob Green.
15 minGOAL!)>
11 minAnother corner for City, and this one finds the head of Kompany, who heads it over. Fairly good chance for the centre-back there.
11 minAnother corner for City, and this one finds the head of Kompany, who heads it over. Fairly good chance for the centre-back there.
9 minJose Mourinho is in the stands for this one, fresh from winning the Spanish Super Cup against Barcelona during the week.
8 minA cross reaches Yaya Toure at the back post, but his looping header is easily collected by Green.
7 minA claim for a handball inside the penalty box for City there, but the referee ignores the appeals. Even at this early stage, you would be surprised if QPR make it to half time all level.
3 minCHANCE! Dzeko comes close with a header from the corner! He arrived late but sould only steer his header wide.
3 minA second corner for City already and they have started very comfortably.
1 minUnsurprisingly, City have made a bright start.
5.30pmWe're underway here!
5.27pmThe biggest signing of deadline day - Javi Garcia - is now being paraded in front of the fans alongside fellow signings Scott Sinclair and Maicon.
5.25pmMark Hughes used to sit in the home dugout here, of course, and will be looking for a shock against his old club to claim QPR's first win of the season.
5.24pmHaving said that, I still don't think they have enough to cope with City, especially at home. I'm going for a 3-0 win to the Blues.
5.22pmQPR have been very busy in the transfer market and have made some shrewd signings. I don't think they'll be as close to relegation as last season for one thing.
5.20pmRight, good afternoon, 10 minutes to go until kickoff here at the Etihad!
Written by
Barney Corkhill
Barney Corkhill
