Plymouth Argyle vs Queens Park Rangers

The Game   
Argyle v Queens Park Rangers. Home Park. Saturday, 18 January. 12.30pm. Sky Bet Championship.

The Opposition  
QPR are 13th in the Championship table, with 32 points from 26 games. They have won seven, drawn eleven and lost eight.

You can fairly well split QPR’s season into two sections. They won just once in their first 15 games, a victory over Luton Town in their fourth game of the campaign. Things were not looking good, but a sudden turnaround in fortune has lifted them up the table.

After a 1-1 home draw with Stoke City, Rangers kept four straight clean sheets, beating Cardiff City, Norwich City and Oxford United, and drawing with Watford.

A draw at Bristol City was followed by a home win against Preston North End, before a defeat – the only one in the last 11 – against Swansea City on Boxing Day. QPR drew at Norwich three days later, then won their first two games of 2025, beating Watford and Luton at home.

The Gaffer  
Marti Cifuentes took over as QPR manager at the end of October 2023, following the departure of Gareth Ainsworth. Cifuentes’ first game was a draw against Rotherham United, ending a run of six straight defeats. Rangers were second from bottom.  

By the season’s end, the Hoops had rallied to 18th, six points above the drop zone. They had won 13 of the 32 games Cifuentes was in charge for that season, losing 10.  

The 42-year-old Catalonian managed several lower league teams in his native Spain before joining Sandefjord in Norway, AaB in Denmark and Hammarby in Sweden, who were playing in the UEFA Europa Conference League when he switched Scandinavia for West London.   

The Squad 

Jimmy Dunne has been an ever-present for QPR this season, starting all 26 league games, and scoring four goals. The Dundalk-born defender, who has played at right-back and in central defence this season, emerged professionally at Burnley, but after having several loans out, signed for QPR in 2021. He is now approaching 150 games for the Hoops.

Goalkeeper Paul Nardi is another ever-present so far. The Frenchman began at Nancy, and after a move to Monaco seemed not to work out, he spent time on loan with Cercle Brugge, then moved to Lorient and Gent, before pitching up in London in the summer.

Expect Sam Field (above) to anchor QPR’s midfield for the game. Only missing one match this season, 26-year-old Field came through at West Bromwich Albion, and had a loan spell with Charlton Athletic followed by one with QPR in 2021. This was made permanent, and he has now played over 150 games for Rangers.

Most Recent Meetings 
Earlier in the season, the sides drew 1-1 at Loftus Road. QPR got off to a fast start, scoring through Michael Frey, but Argyle rallied and were on top when Morgan Whittaker equalised just before the half-hour mark. Argyle’s momentum was halted when Adam Forshaw was sent off, but the Greens rallied and held out for a point, despite Freddie Issaka also seeing red late on.

Last season, Argyle and QPR drew both games too. The game at Loftus Road finished 0-0, with a 1-1 draw following at Home Park later in the campaign.

Argyle TV  
Argyle TV’s  coverage will begin with Argyle Breakfast at 10am, which will feature guests including CEO Andrew Parkinson, and is hosted by Erin Black and Aaron Cusack.

The Pre-Match Show will start at midday, when Erin Black will be joined by Jemma Rose. Commentary will be provided from Home Park by Charlie Price and Marc Edworthy.

Match passes to watch this game are available in international territories. Click here for more information.

Sky Sports
The game will be broadcast on Sky Sports+.

Queens Park Rangers inflicted defeat on Argyle at Home Park to end the Pilgrims’ four-game unbeaten run.

Rayan Kolli’s second-half goal was the difference between the teams, with the QPR substitute scoring not long after the hour mark, and Argyle unable to find a way to conjure up an equaliser.

Ryan Hardie was back in the Argyle starting line-up for the first time since New Year’s Day, ostensibly replacing Brendan Galloway, and facilitating an Argyle change of shape.

In front of Daniel Grimshaw, there lined up a back four of Bali Mumba, Julio Pleguezuelo, Victor Palsson and Tymoteusz Puchacz, with Adam Randell and Darko Gyabi in front of them. Rami Al Hajj and Morgan Whittaker were wider, and more advanced with Michael Baidoo playing high up, in support of Hardie.

Inside a minute, Hardie thought his was luck was in, as a QPR short goal-kick saw goalkeeper Paul Nardi dawdling, and the Scotsman nearly nicked the ball from him.

Argyle’s start was bright, with an Al Hajj flicked shot on target reaching the keeper’s hands, before the Pilgrims’ best move of the half saw Gyabi calmly receive a ball near the edge of the box and offload to Randell, who worked an opportunity for Mumba to fire in a low cross, which was cleared from in front of goal.

The longer the half elapsed, the more Rangers looked a threat, and they had two chances, the second bigger than the first, on 26 minutes. First, a Morgan Fox effort following a Grimshaw punch went wide for a corner, from which Ronnie Edwards latched onto a knockdown to flick centimetres wide of the goal.

Then, four minutes before the interval, Paul Smyth scythed through several players, running from deep and wide on the right to the edge of the area. As he was challenged, the ball fell to Michael Frey in space, who looked strong favourite to score. Grimshaw, though, made a stunning save from close range, meaning half-time arrived with the game goalless.

At the break, Miron Muslic made a change, bringing on Jordan Houghton in place of Gyabi in the middle of the park.

Moments after the restart, Grimshaw again denied Frey, in possibly even more unlikely fashion. Jimmy Dunne played a ball into the area, which was either a high-quality pass or, perhaps more likely, a shot which went straight to Frey’s feet. The Swiss had a shot from about six yards, but Grimshaw’s reactions were again incredible, and he repelled the ball.

Grimshaw made another excellent save on 65 minutes, but it was not enough to stop QPR taking the lead. Mumba miscontrolled a dropping ball which allowed Chair to pick up the loose ball and drive at goal. Grimshaw again stopped a shot superbly, but the ball rebounded to Kolli, not long on as a substitute, who fired into the bottom corner.

Argyle tried to react quickly with Callum Wright, also having recently come off the bench, curling not far over from 25 yards.

The Greens tried shaking things up, bringing on Mustapha Bundu, Ibrahim Cissoko and Matty Sorinola in the quest for an equaliser.

Bundu came close – or least, he came close to the ball in a good area – when Whittaker got to the bye-line and crossed to where Bundu was arriving, but Edwards’ defensive header was a very good one, and the ball went for a corner.

Bundu got close to a header from this, too, and Randell went down under pressure, but the referee waved any away penalty claims.

The Greens threw Palsson up front in the closing stages, and he agitated to win some headers and cause unrest in the Rangers’ backline, but spaces Argyle left in their desperation to score meant that the Hoops looked more likely to score the game’s second goal, with Sam Field going the closest.

In the end, there was no need for a second, as QPR dealt with everything Argyle could muster, and saw the game out.

Argyle: 31 Daniel Grimshaw, 2 Bali Mumba (29 Matty Sorinola, 80), 5 Julio Pleguezuelo, 9 Ryan Hardie (15 Mustapha Bundu, 73), 10 Morgan Whittaker (7 Ibrahim Cissoko, 80), 17 Tymoteusz Puchacz, 18 Darko Gyabi (4 Jordan Houghton, half-time), 20 Adam Randell (capt), 28 Rami Al Hajj (11 Callum Wright, 60), 30 Michael Baidoo, 44 Victor Palsson. Substitutes: 33 Zak Baker (gk), 3 Nathanael Ogbeta, 34 Caleb Roberts, 35 Freddie Issaka.

Booked: Houghton 60

QPR: 1 Paul Nardi, 3 Jimmy Dunne, 8 Sam Field, 10 Ilias Chair (28 Alfie Lloyd, 86), 11 Paul Smyth (14 Koki Saito, 75), 12 Michael Frey (26 Rayan Kolli, 59), 15 Morgan Fox, 17 Ronnie Edwards, 21 Kieran Morgan (20 Harrison Ashby, 84), 22 Kenneth Paal, 40 Jonathan Varane (4 Jack Colback, 59). Substitutes: 13 Joe Walsh (gk), 6 Jake Clarke-Salter, 24 Niclas Madsen, 27 Daniel Bennie.

Goals: Kolli 65

Booked: Varane 1, Smyth 54, Edwards 64

Attendance: 16,988 (1,718 away)

Referee: Darren Bond

PLY Argyle

QPR QPR