QPR relegated after Manchester City hit them for six

Queens Park Rangers will be playing Championship football next season after a Sergio Aguero hat-trick helped Manchester City to a 6-0 rout at the Ethiad Stadium.

Nothing short of victory on the day would be enough to keep Rangers up and so manager Chris Ramsey decided to risk starting players carrying injury concerns in Clint Hill, Steven Caulker and Bobby Zamora.

But their hopes suffered an early blow as Aguero latched onto Pablo Zabaleta’s pass to score his 23rd goal of the season only four minutes in. Aleksandar Kolorov added a second before the break with a sumptuous free-kick and two more from Aguero and further goals from James Milner and David Silva sent Rangers down with a whimper.

Victory for City all but guarantees them Champions League football next season. They are now three points ahead of Arsenal in second place, although the Gunners have two games in hand.

3’ – CHANCE AGUERO: Silva plays in the striker with a neat but a sliding challenge from Dunne blocks his goalbound effort.

4’ – GOAL! Manchester City 1-0 QPR: No mistake this time from Aguero as he dinks his finish over the advancing Green from Zabaleta’s pass.

32’ – GOAL! Manchester City 2-0 QPR: A lovely free kick from Kolorov, who lifts it over the wall and past Green.

36’ – GOOD SAVE GREEN: Another close effort from Aguero from Silva’s ball but Green stretches to save with his fingertips.

38’ – FER HITS THE BAR: He looks offside from the free kick but there’s no flag as he lifts it over Hart. It comes back off the crossbar and Hart is back to grab Zamora’s header from the rebound.

50’ – GOAL! Manchester City 3-0 QPR: A disaster for Young as he lets Silva’s long pass under his foot. Aguero capitalises on the mistake to score his second.

65’ – GOAL! Manchester City 4-0 QPR: And it’s a hat-trick for Aguero from the spot after he is fouled in the box from Phillips.

70’ – GOAL! Manchester City 5-0 QPR: Now Milner gets on the scoresheet, tapping home Aguero’s pass back across goal.

87’ – GOAL! Manchester City 6-0 QPR: Silva completes the rout, rounding Green from Bony’s pass.

Queens Park Rangers become the second club to confirm relegation from the PL with a loss today, after Burnley yesterday. It is their fifth relegation from the top flight (after 1969, 1979, 1996, 2013).

Sergio Agüero has now scored six goals in his last four PL matches against Queens Park Rangers.

Agüero sets a new club record at Manchester by scoring 24 goals in a single Premier League campaign, and a new personal best for the striker in his career. It beats the club’s record tally for a player in a single PL campaign, held by Carlos Tevez (2009/10), and Sergio Agüero himself (2011/12).

Sergio Agüero scores his second Premier League hat-trick of the season, after scoring four against Tottenham Hotspur on 18 October 2014.

Queens Park Rangers suffer their biggest PL defeat since 2 October 2011 (at Fulham, 6-0). They have lost by a bigger margin only once before in top flight history, at Manchester United on 19 March 1969, result 8-1.

Richard Dunne is relegated for the second time in his career, against the former club with whom he was relegated first - in 2000/01.

It could have been worse! Robert Green actually has a blinder in goal behind a shocking Rangers defence. A string of fine saves prevented City from notching double figures.

Sergio Aguero (Man City) - An easy one today. Scored his second hat-trick of the season to close on the golden boot.

Man City: Hart 6, Zabaleta 6, Demichelis 6, Mangala 6, Kolarov 7, Fernando 6, Milner 7, Fernandinho 6, Lampard 6, Silva 8, Aguero 9. SUBS: Toure 6, Navas 6, Bony 6.

QPR: Green 7, Caulker 5, Dunne 6, Hill 5, Phillips 6, Barton 6, Henry 6, Suk-Young 5, Fer 7, Austin 6, Zamora 5. SUBS: Wright-Phillips 6, Kranjcar 6, Hoilett 6.