Aston Villa loss could seal QPR's fate

Saturday afternoon's relegation battle between QPR and Aston Villa ended with the West Midlands club victorious and Harry Redknapp's team inching ever closer to relegation.

QPR have shown signs of improvement in recent weeks and 'Arry would have been hoping for this must win game to be the icing on the cake. But again QPR's defensive frailties let them down and seven minutes after equalising to make the score 2-2 they allowed Christian Benteke to seal Villa's win with a late strike.

It makes things very difficult for QPR now as Villa's win lifts them six points clear of the relegation zone and the west London club need to make up seven points in the remaining eight games.

In the next month they face both Wigan and Reading (the two teams who make up the rest of the bottom three) and if QPR want to play Premier League football next season then those are games in which maximum points must be taken.

If relegated to the Championship, QPR will be left with a huge wage bill (£56m and counting) and they simply won't be able to create enough revenue without the windfall that comes from being a Premier League team. 

Their story could be a repeat of the ones we have seen at Portsmouth and Leeds. The next eight games are of such importance to QPR as it will shape not only their short term future but potentially their long term future, too.

The great escape is still possible but 'Arry knows with every passing weekend it becomes more and more difficult. QPR have a quality squad and if they can just manage to defend here and there Premier League survival will be within their grasp.

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