The Dugout Discussion – Sunday

Rounding off the weekend’s football are a pair of local derbies that look set to engender narratives at both ends of the table. A resurgent Queens Park Rangers outfit welcome league leaders Chelsea to Loftus Road in the lunchtime clash, before the Manchester clubs tussle for places in the top four in the late kick-off.

Queens Park Rangers play host to Chelsea off the back of a six-goal thriller at Villa Park last time out. The R’s netted seven times in their double Gameweek 31 – with Charlie Austin and Matt Phillips both surpassing the 20-point mark. They now face a tough task perpetuating that hot streak against a Blues side that’s conceded just three times in their previous four road trips. Eden Hazard’s quest for player of the year accolades continues apace as he searches for his fourth goal in five outings, while Didier Drogba is handed a rare start for the Blues as Loic Remy joins Diego Costa on the sidelines through injury – the Frenchman picked up a muscle problem during training yesterday.

The Manchester derby closes out the weekend’s Premier League action, with the Red Devils welcoming the Sky Blues to Old Trafford. Wayne Rooney is the form forward in the North West, having notched four in five starts once restored up front. In contrast, Sergio Aguero has been uncharacteristically out of touch in the second half of the season, drawing blanks in eight of his previous 10 starts. The output of these two strikers is likely to be vital to today’s end result and indeed, our assessment of their potential over the remainder of the season.