QPR vs. Tottenham Hotspur: Winners and Losers from London Derby
A Harry Kane brace lifted Tottenham Hotspur to a 2-1 win at Queens Park Rangers on Saturday, and the result put the guests back in the Champions League football discussion.
Sandro scored in the 75th minute for the hosts, who made a late push and were denied a penalty when Nabil Bentaleb handled the ball in front of Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.
Overall, there were a handful of performances that caught the eye at Loftus Road, as well as one or two that were rather less impressive.
Following are the individual winners and losers from the encounter.
Winner: Hugo Lloris, Who Made Several Important Saves for Spurs
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It's hard to imagine where Tottenham Hotspur would be in the standings without the heroics of No. 1 goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.
On Saturday, the France international was at his best once again and made several important saves that contributed to the Tottenham cause.
In the 19th minute, he bailed out team-mate Kyle Walker when he denied Charlie Austin from close range after the Spurs right-back had misplaced a backwards header. In first-half stoppage time, he again kept Austin at bay when he saved the QPR striker's shot at the near post.
But his best stop came in the 57th minute when he denied Bobby Zamora, who had threatened throughout the match.
"Superb save!" tweeted QPR's official account. "Zamora turns his marker as Lloris palms away at his near post."
Loser: Rob Green, Whose Mistake Led to Kane's Opener
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Rob Green, at the opposite end of the pitch, wasn't nearly as helpful to his side as Hugo Lloris at Loftus Road.
In the 34th minute, the former England international unadvisedly came off his line in an attempt to punch the ball away from Spurs striker Harry Kane, who easily beat him with a well-placed header.
"Rob Green closing his eyes, coming for the ball, and reminding us all of England vs. USA," tweeted Squawka, in reference to Green's woeful performance at the 2010 World Cup.
Winner: Sandro, Who Scored a Consolation Goal for QPR
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Queens Park Rangers came on late at Loftus Road, and in the 75th minute, Sandro had them back to within a goal.
Accepting Bobby Zamora's well-placed reverse, the Brazilian released a hard, inch-perfect shot that beat Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris to the near corner.
"Sandro pulls a goal back with a really good finish. No celebration against his old club," The Telegraph's Matt Law wrote.
Winner: Charlie Austin, Who Didn't Score but Contributed Defensively
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QPR striker Charlie Austin didn't find the back of the net with England manager Roy Hodgson in attendance on Saturday, but he did make an important contribution in his own goalmouth.
In the 59th minute, the 25-year-old, who attempted nine shots against Spurs, cleared Christian Eriksen's shot off the line and kept his side to within a goal of their opponents.
"What a block from Austin to deny #THFC a second," tweeted Press Association journalist Simon Peach.
Loser: Rio Ferdinand, Who Had Another Forgettable Match in Defense for QPR
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Rio Ferdinand hasn't exactly shone in the QPR defense since making a summer move from Manchester United, and on Saturday, he again struggled at Loftus Road against Tottenham Hotspur.
In the early stages of the encounter, he seemed to struggle with the sun in his eyes, and in the 68th minute, he was at least partially responsible for Harry Kane's winner.
With Ryan Mason having delivered an overhead ball intended for the Spurs striker, Ferdinand, instead of battling Kane, moved forward to play the offside trap and ended up allowing both Kane and Nacer Chadli to advance in an onside position.
Kane, controlling Mason's ball, had only to round Rob Green before finishing into a gaping net.
Winner: Harry Kane, Who Bagged a Brace at QPR
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With his Saturday brace, Harry Kane now has 26 goals in all competitions this season—the same number managed by former Spurs talisman Gareth Bale before the Welshman sealed a lucrative move to Real Madrid.
In the 34th minute, Kane got a head to Andros Townsend's free-kick to open the scoring, and midway through the second half, he controlled Ryan Mason's long pass before rounding QPR goalkeeper Rob Green and scoring into an open net.
"He's done it again...away from the Lane...QPR struck by 2 hits from the Kane," tweeted Match of the Day pundit Gary Lineker.
