Manchester City had to cope with the unique experience
of falling behind at Loftus Road.
• Dzeko: QPR best team we've faced
But in the end, they had that familiar winning feeling
as Yaya Toure's winner kept them five points ahead of
Manchester United in the Premier League title race.
Coming off worst in a five-goal thriller will be scant
consolation for QPR.
They became the first team to take the lead against
City in the Premier League this season, courtesy of
Jay Bothroyd's fine header.
And they had the spirit to respond through Heidar Helguson
after Edin Dzeko and David Silva turned the match on
its head either side of the break.
However, from Toure's 73rd-minute header, there was
no response, Helguson coming closest when he struck
the bar eight minutes from time.
Yet, for all QPR's agonies, this City side are proving
immensely hard to stop. Even if they only managed half
the six goals they scored in their last away game at
Old Trafford, they have now racked up 39 in 11 games,
dropping only two points in the process and look more
like title winners with every performance.
Chants of 'John Terry, we know what you said' from
the home fans - in reference to the racism accusations
denied by the England defender - were virtually forgotten
by the final whistle, so enthralling had the contest
been.
Indeed, it was hard to recall that City had been so
lethargic for the opening half hour.
With old boys Shaun Wright-Phillips and Joey Barton
keen to do well, QPR put their opponents on the back
foot.
Helguson turned a Barton corner back across goal but
just out of Ferdinand's reach.
Joe Hart was forced to parry a thunderous Jamie Mackie
effort away as City struggled to cope without suspended
skipper Joleon Lescott.
Not once during their flying start to the domestic
campaign have City found themselves behind.
Just before the half hour, it finally happened.
Roberto Mancini could not be happy with the ease of
QPR's goal either.
Barton sent a decent free-kick into the visitors' box
but Bothroyd simply climbed highest in a crowded penalty
area and sent a firm header into the bottom corner.
City were rocking and Bothroyd came agonisingly close
to grabbing a second when Helguson seized on a stray
pass and picked the striker out with an excellent cross
to the far post.
Bothroyd met it well enough, but the one-time England
international could only turn away in despair as his
header clipped the outside of a post.
It seemed the visitors were there for the taking.
But, like the champions they hope to become, they rallied
quickly enough to haul themselves level before half-time.
James Milner started it with a surge downfield from
inside his own half.
He released the previously subdued Dzeko, who cut inside
Luke Young and thrashed a shot into the bottom corner,
his 10th Premier League goal of the season.
And City weren't finished there, with Sergio Aguero's
well-struck effort bouncing back off the base of a post
to provide QPR with a warning they would not even collect
a point easily.
If they thought a fine Barton shot that brought a sprawling
save out of Hart straight after the restart would be
a sign of things to come, they were sadly mistaken.
Forced off by a back injury during the Champions League
win over Villarreal in midweek, Silva had returned to
duty but not made much of an impression.
That was until Dzeko picked up out with a low cross
from the left touchline.
The Spain star's next move had a touch of genius about
it, even though it was so simple.
As the QPR defence waited for a touch to control, or
even a dummy, Silva attacked the ball at pace, getting
him away from Danny Gabbidon but with enough room in
front of Ferdinand to blast home a fine goal.
It seemed QPR were doomed. But they rallied magnificently,
and after Barton had gone close, Bothroyd met Armand
Traore's cross and his goalbound header bounced in off
Helguson.
Once again, Loftus Road was alive with the electricity
of fans who believed a famous win was on the cards.
But City had no time for such dreams.
Calmly, Kolarov strode down the left flank, then picked
out Toure with a superb curling cross that invited a
powerful headed finish.
Helguson so nearly levelled near the end but it was
the Blues celebrating once more at the end as they maintained
their winning habit.
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