Arsenal will be looking to bounce back from the late Martin Skrtel equalizer in the Liverpool game last Sunday. With tough away fixtures against West Ham and Southampton to come in the hectic Christmas period, this is a must win game for Arsenal to move up the table.

Arsenal have only lost in one of their past seventeen boxing day fixtures and will be looking to continue that good run against a side that is yet to pick up a point and only scored three goals away this season.

Injury News

Normally a home fixture such as this would be seen as an opportunity to rest key players but with Arsenal's current injury crisis this is impossible.

Tomas Rosicky and Yaya Sanogo could return to the squad having been passed fit this week. Aaron Ramsey and Mikel Arteta will both miss out, as will Laurent Koscielny. Koscielny is an outside chance for the trip to West Ham.

Defensive Shape

With Koscielny not fit, the Arsenal defence is likely to be similar to the one against Liverpool. Szcesney will continue in goal after in impressive performance at Anfield with Liverpool having ten shots on target.

With Wenger hinting this week that he may look to rest Chambers, Debuchy may revert to his more natural position on the right side of the defence, with Monreal coming in as a makeshift centre half.

Gibbs will continue at left back for the fourth league game in a row.

Midfield Shortages

In Arteta's continued absence, Mathieu Flamini will again be asked to anchor the midfield. In his performance at Anfield Phil Neville compared him to a windscreen wiper, how isolated he was in his attempts to protect the back four from the runs of Coutinho and Lallana.

QPR are likely to provide less of a test for his game and a fitter Oxlade-Chamberlain should provide the midfield with more balance. Cazorla will likely be given the opportunity to continue his recent good run of form which has seen him have a hand in five goals in his last five league games.

Time for Attacking Rotation?

This week Arsene Wenger spoke of the “Shock to the system for everybody not used to it” when referring to the hectic Premier League period and lack of a winter break in relation to Alexis Sanchez.In light of this the manager may see this game as an opportunity to rest his top scorer.

After arguably his worst game in an Arsenal shirt, Danny Welbeck may come out of the firing line. This would give the manager the opportunity to give Walcott some minutes on his return from injury or give Podolski his first Premier League start of the season.

Rumours continue to abound about the future of the German international with a move away from the Emirates a distinct possibility in January.

The Redknapp Threat

Redknapp has a good record throughout his management career against Arsenal having only lost five of the eighteen games he has led teams against Arsenal.

Undoubtedly the main threat to come from QPR will be from their in form English frontman Charlie Austin. A hat trick against West Brom last weekend took his total for the season up to eleven.

With Austin likely to start on his own up front, Arsenal will have to be wary of the support runs of Mutch as well as the wingers delivery into the box, likely to be Vargas and Fer.

Likely Line-Ups

Arsenal: Szczesny, Debuchy, Mertesacker, Monreal, Gibbs, Flamini, Cazorla, Rosicky, Alexis, Giroud, Welbeck

QPR: Green, Isla, Dunne, Caulker, Onouha, Vargas, Henry, Barton, Fer, Mutch, Austin

Verdict and Prediction

Anything less than a victory in Arsenal's boxing day game will be viewed as a disaster. QPR have been abysmal away from home this season with questions remaining as to Redknapp's ability to set up a cohesive defensive set-up.

The movement of Arsenal's forward line whatever way they line up should have too much for a QPR defence which is distinctly lacking in pace. Arsenal's attacking midfield will look to find space between QPR's defence sitting deep and its midfield, with Cazorla likely to take advantage of this opportunity.

In previous seasons Arsenal have done well in dealing with the weaker teams at home and should look to this game as a great opportunity to put three valuable points on the table.

Come on the Arsenal!