The capital rivals meet today, Sunday, January 11, 2026, as West Ham United hosts Queens Park Rangers in a high-stakes FA Cup Third Round clash. Kick-off is set for 14:30 GMT at the London Stadium.
For the Hammers, the cup offers a desperate sanctuary from a bruising Premier League campaign. For Julien Stéphan’s QPR, it is an opportunity to reclaim the "giant-killer" tag and inflict further misery on their east London neighbors.
The Storyline: Nuno’s Battle for Momentum
West Ham: Searching for the "Reset" Button
The pressure on Nuno Espírito Santo has been building. The Hammers have endured a difficult start to 2026, recently suffering a 2–1 home loss to Nottingham Forest and a 3–0 defeat to Wolves. Currently winless in their last 10 games, the club is desperate for a morale-boosting victory to silence the growing speculation surrounding the manager's future.
Despite the league form, West Ham has a proud FA Cup history (winners in 1964, 1975, and 1980). Nuno is expected to name a strong lineup to spark a "mental reset" for his squad.
QPR: A Rejuvenated West London Rival
In contrast, QPR arrives at the London Stadium full of belief. Under French head coach Julien Stéphan, the R's sit 11th in the Championship and are fresh off a dominant 3–0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday. While they have historically struggled at the London Stadium, they boast a curious FA Cup psychological edge: the R's have historically performed well in these high-pressure local ties, and their attacking rhythm could unsettle a leaky Hammers defense.
Team News & Probable Lineups
West Ham Team News
New Faces: High-profile January signing Taty Castellanos is likely to lead the line after showing promise in his debut midweek.
Absentees: Veteran Lukasz Fabianski (lower back) is out, meaning Mads Hermansen or Alphonse Areola will start between the sticks. El Hadji Malick Diouf remains away at AFCON with Senegal.
Missing Captain: Jarrod Bowen is sidelined with a foot fracture, leaving a significant void in the Hammers' attack.
Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Areola; Coufal, Todibo, Kilman, Emerson; Alvarez, Soucek; Kudus, Paquetá, Summerville; Castellanos.
QPR Team News
Injury Crisis: Stéphan faces a major selection headache. Top scorer Rumarn Burrell (hamstring) is out, alongside Kwame Poku, Jonathan Varane, and Liam Morrison.
Key Miss: Talisman Ilias Chair remains sidelined with a long-term injury.
Predicted XI (4-3-3): Nardi; Dunne, Cook, Fox, Paal; Madsen, Field, Dembélé; Smyth, Frey, Saito.
Head-to-Head (H2H) & Key Stats
Long-Awaited Clash: This is the first competitive meeting between the two sides since a 0–0 draw in April 2015.
Cup History: QPR famously eliminated West Ham in their last three FA Cup meetings, a statistic the Hammers are desperate to overturn.
Hammers' Home Record: West Ham is unbeaten in their last five home games against QPR (dating back to 2014).
Defensive Woes: The Hammers have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 18 matches across all competitions.
Tactical Analysis: Quality vs. Confidence
Nuno is expected to encourage a dominant possession game, relying on the individual brilliance of Lucas Paquetá and the pace of Crysencio Summerville to carve through a QPR side that will likely adopt a disciplined, counter-attacking shape. However, West Ham’s defensive fragility—particularly their susceptibility to transitions—will be precisely what Stéphan’s confident QPR side will look to exploit.
Match Prediction
While the division gap favors West Ham, the psychological states of the two clubs are worlds apart. If QPR can survive the opening 20 minutes, the pressure from the home crowd could become West Ham's biggest enemy.
Final Score Prediction: West Ham 2–1 QPR
