West Ham United: 46 league matches in the bank, 8 from this season and the rest from last season in the Premier League. Queens Park Rangers: 50 league matches in the bank, 8 from this season and the rest from last season.
The question this step asks
Step one is THE TABLE: rank against rank, and the blocks -- the table cut into a top, middle and bottom block, drawn from last season's final standings. The question is not just where each side stands but how it behaves against the company the other keeps: does it play to rank against the blocks above and below, or come apart?
The two sides
West Ham United -- at home
Where it stands
Stands 2nd of 24 after 8 games, with 15 points. It was not in this division last season -- it came down from the Premier League, where it finished 18th of 20.
Its block
New to the division this season, so it takes no block from last season's final table.
Against today's opponent's block
Today it faces a side from the middle block (9th to 16th). Against that block it has won 4, drew 4, lost 7 of 15 -- 16 points of 45. At home against them: won 3 of 7. Away against them: won 1 of 8.
Across all the blocks
Across the blocks, over the last two seasons: against the top block won 2, drew 6, lost 7 of 15 (0.80 a game); against the middle block won 4, drew 4, lost 7 of 15 (1.07 a game); against the bottom block won 6, drew 1, lost 6 of 13 (1.46 a game); against sides new to the division won 2, drew 1, lost 0 of 3 (2.33 a game).
Queens Park Rangers -- away
Where it stands
Stands 7th of 24 after 8 games, with 13 points. Last season it finished 15th of 24 in this division.
Its block
By last season's final table it sits in the middle block (9th to 16th). Blocks are drawn from last season because the current table is only 8 games old.
Against today's opponent's block
Today it faces a side new to its division. Against that block it has won 1, drew 1, lost 0 of 2. At home against them: won 1 of 2.
Across all the blocks
Across the blocks, over the last two seasons: against the top block won 4, drew 0, lost 12 of 16 (0.75 a game); against the middle block won 4, drew 4, lost 5 of 13 (1.23 a game); against the bottom block won 9, drew 8, lost 2 of 19 (1.84 a game); against sides new to the division won 1, drew 1, lost 0 of 2 (2.00 a game).
Built 19:01 from matches completed before
kick-off. Every figure is an observed count with its denominator —
not a forecast, and nothing here is a tip or a selection.