Queens Park Rangers were soundly beaten 4-1 by Southampton in the Championship on Saturday 31 October. The result at St Mary's extends QPR's winless run to five matches, with four defeats and one draw in that sequence, a run of form that reads zero wins, one draw and four defeats.
Kuryu Matsuki put the hosts ahead after 11 minutes. Southampton's control was cemented by goals from Cameron Bragg and Keven Schlotterbeck in the space of 11 second-half minutes, both assisted by Ryan Manning. Richard Kone pulled one back for QPR just two minutes after Schlotterbeck's header, finishing from a Karamoko Dembélé pass. Substitute Welington added a fourth for Southampton deep into stoppage time.
Julien Stéphan's side struggled to contain a fluid Southampton attack, conceding 19 shots and nine on target. They finished the game with three yellow cards, shown to Jonathan Varane, Kealey Adamson and Jimmy Dunne. The visitors managed only two shots on target themselves, with Kone's goal providing the sole moment of attacking quality.
This heavy loss follows a 5-0 victory over Swansea City last weekend, a result that now looks like an outlier in a difficult period. The team's recent form shows a pattern of defensive vulnerability, having conceded 11 goals in their last five league outings, which also included a 3-0 loss at Birmingham and a 1-1 draw at West Ham. The 5-0 win over Swansea on Saturday 24 October saw Richard Kone score a first-half hat-trick, with Jimmy Dunne adding two more, but that emphatic result has been followed by four consecutive defeats. They must now regroup quickly for a key home fixture against Burnley on Tuesday 3 November at Loftus Road. The full fixtures list shows a busy November schedule ahead.
Cameron Bragg's second-half strike was the first Championship goal of his career, Southampton manager Tonda Eckert confirmed. Eckert said he had encouraged the player to take his chance after a training session this week. "I told him that if the chances opened up today then he makes sure he takes it," the Saints boss said. The goal came via a deflection from a Ryan Manning cutback. QPR manager Julien Stéphan labelled Southampton as one of the two best teams in the league. The result extends QPR's winless run to five matches.
