Arsenal training
Reuters

Arsenal will hope to return to winning ways on Saturday 27 October, when they host QPR in what will be the third London derby this season for the Gunners.

Arsene Wenger's side are on a two-match losing streak and are currently ninth in the league table, ten points adrift of leaders Chelsea and six points behind the Manchester clubs. Arsenal must win against QPR to maintain their hopes of mounting a serious title challenge.

Meanwhile Rangers, currently bottom of the league table, might be buoyed by the apparent lack of confidence in an Arsenal team that has lost consecutive games. Mark Hughes's team are yet to register a win in the league this season but will take confidence from Norwich City's win over the Gunners last week and try to force a similar result, which could lift them out of the relegation zone.

Where to Follow Live

Kick-off is set for 3pm BST. The match will be covered live by BBC Radio 5 Live. Arsenal Player subscribers can tune in to the club's official website to listen to live commentary. Highlights of the game are on Match of the Day on BBC One at 10.25pm.

Overview

Wenger has expressed his disappointment over the club's performances since the international break, the latest being a 0-2 home defeat in the Champions League against Schalke. The Gunners managed just a single shot on target against the Bundesliga outfit, ironically from Serge Gnabry, a 17-year-old German player making his Champions League debut.

The Gunners put up a solid performance against West Ham United at Upton Park before the international break, but were found lacking at Carrow Road, where their propensity to try to pass the ball into the net was punished thoroughly by the Canaries, who posted a 1-0 win. Wenger cut a sorry figure in the recent AGM meeting with shareholders and board members, where he apologised to Arsenal supporters for the club's recent results and vowed to stage a comeback.

Gooners have good reason to worry about their team's form, which has hit rock bottom in the last couple of weeks. The defence, which received much praise at the start of the season, has come under criticism for its lack of organisation, while an attack that boasts the like of Lukas Podolski, Gervinho and Olivier Giroud has also failed to live up to expectations.

QPR could not have chosen a better time to take on the Gunners. Hughes' side, who kept Chelsea at bay at Loftus Road, will be looking for a similar performance at the Emirates and will be keen to use their pace on the wings to hit the Gunners on the counter. Rangers will not be lacking confidence; their last meeting with Arsenal, at Loftus Road, ended in a 2-1 victory for the home side. However, regardless of the Gunners' recent poor form, QPR will be better served treating the Gunners with respect rather than surging forward chasing a win, which could open up gaps for the north Londoners to exploit.

Arsenal training
Reuters

Form Guide

Arsenal

  • Last five (all competitions, most recent first): L L W W L
  • Last result: Arsenal 0- 2 Schalke

QPR

  • Last five (all competitions, most recent first): D L L L L
  • Last result: QPR 1 - 1 Everton

Team News

Arsenal: The Gunners welcome back midfielder Jack Wilshere, who is expected to start from the bench after being sidelined for 14 months with a stress fracture on his ankle sustained during pre-season last summer. Wingers Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott are facing late fitness tests and will be considered for the bench.

Bacary Sagna, who is also fit after recovering from a broken metatarsal suffered at the end of last season, is expected to cover for the injured Kieran Gibbs at left-back, after Andre Santos' error-strewn performance against Schalke. Striker Olivier Giroud, who was dropped to the bench in midweek, is set to make his way back into the team in place of a lacklustre Gervinho. Midfielders Tomas Rosicky and Abou Diaby and goalkeepers Wojciech Szczesny and Lukasz Fabianksi are still a few weeks away from full recovery.

QPR: Rangers are expected to be without wing-back Fabio da Silva, who has a hamstring injury, while there are also doubts over the availability of captain Ji Sung Park, who is suffering from a knee injury. Nathan Dyer and Andy Johnson remain long-term absentees and are also set to miss out on QPR's trip to the Emirates. Bobby Zamora, who gave Arsenal all sorts of problems last season, will lead the line for QPR.

Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Mannone; Jenkinson, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Sagna; Arteta, Ramsey; Oxlade- Chamberlain, Cazorla, Podolski; Giroud

QPR (4-2-3-1): Julio Cesar; Bosingwa, Mbia, Nelsen, Traore; Granero, Diakite; Wright-Phillips, Taarabt, Hoilett; Zamora