QPR dumped out of the Premier League with a whimper

LONDON: Queens Park Rangers bowed out of the Premier League with a whimper after Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero, scored a hat-trick to lead his side to a crushing 6-0 victory over the London club yesterday.

QPR needed to win their remaining three fixtures to stand any chance of survival but defeat at the Etihad Stadium left them nine points adrift of 17th-placed Newcastle United with two games left. Second-placed City confirmed their place in next season’s Champions League.

QPR, who will join Burnley in the Championship, have collected just seven away points this season and were behind in the fourth minute when Aguero dinked over Robert Green before Aleksander Kolarov’s free-kick doubled the lead before half-time.

Aguero completed his hattrick with goals in the 50th and 65th minutes before James Milner added a fifth and David Silva completed the rout three minutes from time.

QPR announced massive losses in March and could face heavy fines, points deductions and transfer embargoes under the Football League’s Financial Fair Play rules.

“I don’t think it’s time for any post-mortems because our fate is now what it is,” QPR manager Chris Ramsey told Sky Sports.

“Everybody is very disappointed we’ve lost our status in the Premier League. We need to make sure we rebuild and give the fans another Premier League club in the next couple of years.”

The match was almost three years to the day since Aguero’s dramatic goal deep into stoppagetime lifted City to a 3-2 win over QPR which secured their first Premier League title.

Rangers survived that day but arrived in Manchester knowing only victory would prevent them from joining Burnley in a swift return to the Championship.

They made the worst possible start, however, when Aguero danced through before chipping the ball over onrushing goalkeeper Green.

In a rare foray forward QPR’s Charlie Austin had a header ruled out for offside before Kolarov’s low free-kick flew through the porous defensive wall and settled in the bottom corner. Aguero added his second when he capitalised on Yun Sukyoung’s error to race away and slot past Green and he completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot. Milner added a fifth with a simple finish and Silva danced around Green to slot home after a sublime move to complete a miserable day for QPR.

Chelsea and Liverpool drew 1-1 in the other game yesterday with Steven Gerrard cancelling out John Terry’s opener. – Reuters