Sergio Aguero's treble relegates QPR

London: Liverpool’s hopes of Champions League qualification were all but ended on Sunday as they drew 1-1 at newly crowned Premier League champions Chelsea in a langourous end-of-season encounter. Both goals were headers scored by former England captains, with Chelsea skipper John Terry’s fifth-minute opener cancelled out shortly before half-time by his Liverpool counterpart Steven Gerrard.

Gerrard’s goal prevented him from tasting defeat on his last Stamford Bridge appearance, but with Liverpool now six points below Manchester United with six points to play for — and a vastly inferior goal difference — their top-four bid is effectively over. Earlier, 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.

The thrashing left QPR bottom of the table, nine points adrift of safety and with only a maximum of six available from their final two league games of this season. By contrast, victory saw deposed champions City stay second behind title-winners Chelsea and secure their place in next season’s Champions League.