Seeking to halt a decade-long winless stretch in the capital derby and breathe life into a staggering season, West Ham United welcome a rejuvenated Queens Park Rangers to the London Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
While the Hammers linger in the Premier League’s bottom three after a painful 10-game winless run, the board has opted to back manager Nuno Espírito Santo in the transfer market rather than show him the exit door.
They face a “wounded animal” challenge against a QPR side currently sitting eleventh in the Championship following a dominant 3-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday. Though history at the London Stadium favours the hosts, the R’s travel across London with the confidence of having eliminated West Ham in their last three FA Cup encounters.
West Ham United vs Queens Park Rangers – FA Cup Preview and Team News
- Date: Sunday, 11 January 2026
- Kick-off: 14:30 GMT
- Venue: London Stadium, London
- Referee: Thomas Kirk
- VAR: To be confirmed
- Last Meeting: QPR 0–0 West Ham, 25 April 2015, Premier League
Team News
West Ham United
The Hammers are without veteran goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski due to a lower-back injury, while El Hadji Malick Diouf is away on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations. Nuno is expected to hand a debut to January signing Taty Castellanos, who arrived as part of a £50 million double-swoop alongside fellow striker Pablo. Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paquetá are set to start on the flanks to provide the creative spark for a side that has struggled for defensive solidity. Aaron Wan-Bissaka is back in the country following DR Congo’s AFCON exit, but the clash may come too soon for him.
Queens Park Rangers
Julien Stéphan faces a significant selection headache after several players picked up knocks in their last outing. Top scorer Rumarn Burrell is expected to be sidelined until March with a contact injury, while Kwame Poku (hamstring) and Jonathan Varane (knee) are also ruled out. They join Jake Clarke-Salter, Ilias Chair, and Liam Morrison on the injury list. Captain Jimmy Dunne will lead a defence looking to secure a rare away clean sheet against top-flight opposition.
Form
West Ham United
West Ham are enduring a dismal run of form, having gone winless in their last 10 matches across all competitions. They currently sit 18th in the Premier League, seven points adrift of safety. Notably, the Hammers have been eliminated in the FA Cup third round in each of the last two seasons, having previously progressed from six consecutive third-round ties.
Queens Park Rangers
QPR arrive in east London full of confidence after an emphatic victory over Sheffield Wednesday lifted them within three points of the Championship play-off positions. However, statistical history is against them; the R’s have been eliminated from the FA Cup third round 52 times—more often than any other side. Additionally, when playing outside the top flight, they have lost their last 12 FA Cup ties against Premier League opponents.
Predicted Lineups
West Ham United predicted XI: Hermansen; Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Julio, Scarles; Fernandes, Potts; Bowen, Paquetá, Summerville; Castellanos
Queens Park Rangers predicted XI: Nardi; Mbengue, Dunne, Cook, Norrington-Davies; Dembele, Madsen, Field, Smyth; Kolli, Kone
How to watch West Ham vs QPR?
In the UK, the match will be broadcast live on TNT Sports 5 and discovery+, with coverage beginning at 14:00 GMT ahead of the 14:30 GMT kick-off.
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