ADEL Taarabt took the shirt off an Arsenal back and paved the way to take all three points as well.
The Moroccan (pic) sported Robin Van Persie’s number 10 as he left the pitch, but it was tireless work from QPR defenders that kept the Dutchman quiet.
When Samba Diakité rifled home a debut goal that turned out to be the winner, the Gunners were shot to pieces - and deservedly so.
A lightweight midfield were brushed aside by a determined Rangers inexplicably allowed time and space to plunder almost at will.
It would have been total domination except for a Theo Walcott leveller, and always the possibility that a moment of magic would do QPR.
But in the end, it was a horrible moment when the ball bounced up and struck defender Nedum Onuoha’s hand in the box that might have proved disastrous.
Any chance of a late penalty was quickly waved away and the game was six minutes into injury time because an assistant referee complained of being hit by something thrown from the Ellerslie Road home stand.
Arsenal were hit when Taarabt’s100 th appearance for QPR saw Rangers ahead after 22 minutes.
The midfielder looked to have been closed down 25 yards out, but muscle and movement not only saw him turn but charge forward before steering a deft right foot past Wojciech Szczesny.
Rangers then sprayed the ball around like they were on their way to the title rather than a torturous struggle to beat the drop.
But of course, give a side like Arsenal a millimetre of space and they punish you.
There were three defenders around Theo Walcott when he got the ball back to goal. But somehow he evaded the lot and left-footed fired low against the post.
As those in Hoops gawped, Walcott helped himself to side foot the rebound high into the gaping net.
But it was 15 minutes into the second half before the Rangers keeper was called into the action – and then twice in a minute.
Paddy Kenny punched clear a low curling free kick from Van Persie, but the second save from the prolific Dutchman was top drawer.
As he left Clint Hill for dead, the keeper narrowed the angle but flung himself to his left to divert the Arsenal man’s shot away for a corner.
Mackie’s persistence down the right had been asking questions, but when he stumbled over a despairing challenge from Kieran Gibbs, his pull-back centre supplied the solution for Rangers second.
Diakité picked his spot and side-footed high and beyond anything Szczesny could do about it.
Mackie again provided Barton to bring a great save out of the Arsenal keeper who tipped over a hooked drive from the restored Rs captain – and the home side kept up the frustrating sequence of fantastic home wins against the elite while surrendering precious points elsewhere.
