English Premier League: QPR, Burnley bite the dust as United close in on fourth

City win 6-0 to relegate Rangers, while 1-0 over Hull not enough to save Clarets.

LONDON: Sergio Aguero scored a hat-trick as Manchester City sealed Queens Park Rangers’ relegation from the Premier League with a 6-0 victory at Eastlands on Sunday.

The thrashing left QPR bottom of the table, nine points adrift from safety and with only a maximum of six available from their final two games.

Victory saw deposed champions City stay second behind title-winners Chelsea and secure their place in next season’s Champions League.

Any thoughts of an improbable survival mission for Chris Ramsey’s side were dashed as early as the fourth minute when Aguero, the leading scorer this season, shrugged off some weak tackles before beating QPR goalkeeper Robert Green.

Aleksandar Kolarov doubled City’s lead with a well-struck free-kick from the edge of the box in the 32nd minute.

That pretty much put the result beyond doubt but Aguero made it 3-0 in the 50th minute after South Korea’s Yun Suk-young failed to clear a through ball from David Silva.

A miserable day for QPR’s travelling fans got worse when, after Silva was brought down in the box, Aguero completed his hat-trick from the spot in the 65th minute to take his tally 25 league goals.

Aguero then turned provider to set up James Milner for City’s fifth in the 70th minute before Silva completed the rout three minutes from time.

QPR, whose chairman is Malaysian businessman Tony Fernandes, will now return to the Championship following their promotion via the play-off last season.

United close in on fourth

Manchester United moved to the brink of Champions League qualification with a 2-1 win at Crystal Palace on Saturday.

While United ended a run of three straight defeats, they were once again indebted to goalkeeper David de Gea, who produced a pair of stunning point-blank saves to thwart Glenn Murray either side of Fellaini’s winner.

Burnley also relegated

Burnley were relegated despite winning 1-0 at fellow strugglers Hull; seven points from safety with only two games remaining.

Promoted from the Championship last season, Burnley gave themselves hope of avoiding the drop by stunning defending champions Manchester City 1-0 in March but subsequently went six games without winning, losing five.

“We did what we had to do today, but we have not done it enough over the course of the season,” said Burnley manager Sean Dyche. “Of course relegation is disappointing, but I believe we’re in decent shape to bounce straight back.” 

Published in The Express Tribune, May 11^th,  2015.

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