QPR 0-2 Fulham: FLW report as Mitrovic helps Whites continue West London derby dominance

Aleksandar Mitrovic proved the difference-maker once again as Fulham’s fifth consecutive West London derby victory over QPR helped them tighten their grip on the Championship title.

The Serbian continued his record-breaking season by taking his tally for 2021/22 to 37 goals with a brace as the visitors ran out 2-0 winners at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium.

While the Whites remain eight points clear at the top, a fifth defeat in six games for Mark Warburton’s side leaves them three points outside the play-off places.

The West London derby started at a frantic pace and with plenty of bite. Mitrovic and George Thomas put strikes narrowly wide inside the opening 10 minutes but the R’s could not keep the Serbian off the scoresheet for long.

In the 14th minute, a slick bit of passing play saw Fabio Carvalho burst to the right byline and slide a low cross for Mitrovic to convert inside the six-yard box – cue celebrations from the away fans and even a flare for good measure.

The smoke had barely cleared when a shot whistled just past Marek Rodak’s lefthand post as the hosts searched for a response.

But Carvalho would come even closer to adding the game’s second goal in the 26th minute when his deflected shot looped over Keiren Westwood and onto the inside of the post before bouncing across the face of the goal and being shoveled away by Yoann Barbet.

Up the other end, Rodak had made a far from convincing start in the Fulham goal and nearly handed Lyndon Dykes a chance to equalise around the halfhour mark when he spilled Dion Sanderon’s long-range shot but the Slovakian shot-stopper gathered the ball just in time.

Westwood was only drafted in due to injuries to no fewer than four QPR goalkeepers but he produced a massive