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 relegation battle. For Julien Stéphan’s QPR, it is an opportunity to reclaim the "giant-killer" tag and inflict further misery on their east London neighbors.
Match Details: Kick-off & Official Info
Competition: FA Cup (Third Round)
Date: Sunday, January 11, 2026
Kick-off: 14:30 GMT / 09:30 ET
Venue: London Stadium, London
Referee: Thomas Kirk (VAR: Not in use)
Broadcast: TNT Sports 5 (UK), ESPN+ (US)
The Storyline: Nuno’s Last Stand?
West Ham: Searching for the "Reset" Button
The pressure on Nuno Espírito Santo has reached a boiling point. The Hammers arrive at this fixture on a dismal 10-game winless run, currently languishing in 18th place in the Premier League. A morale-crushing 2–1 home loss to Nottingham Forest in midweek has left the board reportedly weighing their options, with local media suggesting a defeat today could be the final straw for the Portuguese manager.
Despite the league form, West Ham has a proud FA Cup history (winners in 1964, 1975, and 1980). Nuno is expected to name a surprisingly strong lineup, including stars Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paquetá, in an attempt 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 eliminated West Ham in each of their last three meetings in this competition.
Team News & Probable Lineups
West Ham Team News
New Faces: High-profile January signing Taty Castellanos could make his debut.
Absentees: Veteran Lukasz Fabianski (lower back) is out, meaning Mads Hermansen is set for a rare start. El Hadji Malick Diouf is away at AFCON.
Return: Aaron Wan-Bissaka has returned from international duty but may not feature so soon.
Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Hermansen; Coufal, Todibo, Kilman, Emerson; Alvarez, Soucek; Bowen, Paquetá, Kudus; 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.
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 April 2015.
Cup Pedigree: QPR has been eliminated at the Third Round stage 52 times in their history—more than any other English club.
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 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 "wounded" but 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
