David Prutton has predicted a thrilling 2-2 draw when West London rivals Queens Park Rangers and Brentford meet at Loftus Road tonight.

The Bees have earned bragging rights in each of their previous five meetings, including their clash back in November.

However, Thomas Frank's team had their 21-match unbeaten league run ended by Barnsley last weekend, which saw Brentford miss the opportunity to climb above Norwich City and return to the top of the Championship standings.

Meanwhile, QPR are heading in the right direction - with the return of Charlie Austin last month leading to an upturn in fortunes for Mark Warburton's side.

The R's are still just five points above the drop, but a second home victory on the bounce will leave QPR in touching distance of the top-half.

Despite 16 places separating the two sides in the standings, Prutton expects a close game between these West London neighbours. He told Sky Sports:

"The west London derby is always a hotly contested fixture and this has the potential to be a cracker for the neutral, with both sides having won four of their last five matches.

"Brentford lost their 21-game unbeaten run to Barnsley on Sunday and it will be interesting to see how they respond having emerged as title contenders over the last month. I'm predicting goals but also that it will end all square."

The Verdict

QPR are in excellent form, which has included wins over the likes of Watford and Blackburn in recent weeks, but I think Brentford might be a step too far for Mark Warburton's team.

Rangers have tightened up defensively in 2021, but the Bees will be desperate for a reaction after the Barnsley loss , and I can see Frank getting exactly that in a slender away win at Loftus Road.