Opta Stats: Kindly QPR to let Lampard snack again

A Frank Lampard summer exit no longer feels like an inevitability

The Opta stats indicate goals at West Brom, another Man City blip, a West Ham draw and more Frank Lampard heroics...

West Brom v Fulham (New Year's Day, 12:45, Sky Sports 2)
Five of Fulham's last six Premier League games have gone over 2.5 goals
Fulham aren't winning much at the moment - one league victory in 12 matches - but they continue to score, firing in four of their past five fixtures and sending three past West Brom when they visited Craven Cottage back in September. The Baggies meanwhile have been shut out by the likes of Stoke, Arsenal and Manchester United, yet scored twice in their last two meetings with bottom-half sides.
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Manchester City v Stoke (New Year's Day, 15:00)
Stoke are unbeaten in their last 10 games; the only team to have gone on a longer unbeaten run at any point in the Premier League this season are Man City (15)
The champions were successfully laid at Sunderland in the Boxing Day edition of this column and Stoke's recent record has encouraged us to take them on once again at an even plumper price. The Potters have even started scoring more frequently over Christmas, blasting three past Liverpool and Southampton, and Opta note that four of their last six league clashes with Manchester City finished 1-1.
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West Ham v Norwich (New Year's Day, 15:00)
Four of the five Premier League meetings between West Ham and Norwich have ended as draws, two of them 0-0
West Ham's fine start to the campaign has been undermined by a run of one win in eight and, likewise, claims that the Boleyn Ground is a fortress have also been sabotaged by successive defeats to Liverpool and Everton. Norwich also took a stride backwards during December, suffering three straight losses, but haven't been beaten in four consecutive league encounters since August 2009.
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Chelsea v QPR (Wednesday, 19:45)
Frank Lampard has scored a goal every 87.8 minutes this season, only Javier Hernandez has a faster rate
Lampard has hit double figures in nine straight Premier League seasons. The run seemed destined to end this term due to twin terrors of injury and reduced importance until three goals in two festive starts lifted the tally to six and renewed hope. Rafa Benitez may be tempted to rest the 34-year-old, however Opta note that Chelsea have won just one of the eight league matches in his absence and, with uncle Harry Redknapp's QPR defence so generous, he could feast against the bottom club.
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Recommended Bets:
Back over 2.5 goals in West Brom v Fulham @ 1.910/11
Lay Manchester City at home to Stoke @ 1.341/3
Back West Ham and Norwich to draw @ 3.55n/a
Back Frank Lampard to score against QPR @ 3.02/1

Click here to access all the January 1-2 Opta stats