Queens Park Rangers abysmal performance kept them on the brink of relegation as they were battered 6-1 by Chelsea.

After dispatching Spurs with a gritty and ambitious performance, there were high hopes for the struggling R's to repeat that spirit at Stamford Bridge. With Chelsea's busy workload, injuries and their sights set on loftier targets, there was some hope that QPR might have an opportunity to force a positive result. Instead the Derby was over before it started as QPR showed up without an ounce of fight in them, and played one of their worst games this season. The result is a continued bit of slow torture for the supporters as the club makes its way down the table and back to the Championship.

With so much attention being paid to other teams results and where it will leave the club, Queens Park Rangers have to focus on the only thing they can control - how they play for the next three matches.

The final stages of the Premier League marathon will be no easy sprint; QPR have to secure enough points to survive against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, Stoke at Loftus Road and Manchester City at the Ethiad Stadium. If you told supporters a month ago that their club would dispatch Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham during the run-in after losing to Wolves, Blackburn and Bolton, they'd have called for the jackets that fasten in the back and a comfortably padded room. But here they sit, precariously close to the drop but with a legitimate chance to survive against the odds.

The work is by no means done, but with the form they've displayed of late, this team cannot be counted out.

The only way through for QPR now is the hard way. After failing to earn points on the road trip to West Brom and Wigan's upset over Arsenal, the R's remain in the relegation fight. Fellow cellar dwellers Bolton have two games in hand and QPR face three of the top six teams in their remaining four games.

Despite the difficulties and the gloom hanging in the air, this is the time to get behind the squad and push through to another year in the top flight. Tottenham are coming to Loftus Road Saturday, and it will need to be a fortress once again if the Hoops are to stay up. Here's a quick preview of the match this weekend.

Queens Park Rangers breathed new life into their survival campaign with a dominant three - nil victory over Swansea Wednesday night. With tough clashes looming, the improved form of late has buoyed supporter's hopes that relegation can still be avoided this season.

Captain Joey Barton scored just before half time, silencing his critics (including yours truly) with a curling shot that put the Super Hoops ahead to a roaring cheer from the Loftus Road faithful. January signings Samba Diakite and Taye Taiwo turned in their best work to date, and Championship vets Jamie Mackie and Akos Buzsaky added two more goals to seal a convincing win.

The competition to remain in the Premier League remains fierce after Wigan pulled off an upset against Manchester United, and QPR will have to make the most of their weekend trip to The Hawthorns. With the level the R's raised their game to last night, this looks like a team that can beat the drop amid the tight battle at the bottom of the table.

Queens Park Rangers found themselves in familiar territory on Easter Sunday, down to ten men and a goal behind to a better team. Unlike previous trips down that road, they held on and despite losing two-nil, performed better under adverse conditions than they had in similar situations this season.

Ashley Young's flop that won United a penalty and sent Shaun Derry off thirteen minutes into the match was a disgrace - to United, to the referees and to the game, and should be held up as an example of unacceptable behavior on the pitch. Certainly against lowly QPR, Man U didn't need any extra advantages, and the failure from the linesman who was in position to see Young a yard offside, to the referee who awarded the penalty and produced a straight red card, cut down what could have been an interesting match before it was truly underway.

Queens Park Rangers might never have been able to unseat the presumed champions at Old Trafford, but they were weathering the onslaught and fought well with ten men the rest of the way. Supporters from both clubs were cheated out of an entertaining contest by a selfish act that sapped the excitement from an otherwise enjoyable match.

Queens Park Rangers rallied in the face of adversity this weekend, beating Arsenal with their best performance of the new year to climb out of the relegation zone.

On the strength of a tremendous effort from Adel Taraabt and a resolute team performance, the R's made the most of their home stand to gut out a difficult win in comprehensive fashion. With points at a premium this late in the season, they stepped up marvelously and turned in a thriller to overcome an in-form Gunners squad.

With a trip to Old Trafford up next, they need to keep on believing and playing like the team they can be when firing on all cylinders. The run-in hasn't gotten any easier, but there are enough opportunities left for this QPR side to earn survival to next year if they can repeat the quality they displayed this weekend.