QPR hosted Liverpool at Loftus Road in the final Premier League game of 2012 this afternoon with both sides looking to put disappointing defeats in their last matches behind them.
As it was, Liverpool ran out comfortable 3-0 winners over a sorry QPR side courtesy of a Luis Suarez double and Daniel Agger header in the first half.
The result lifted Liverpool up to ninth in the Premier League table, while QPR remain stranded at the foot of it.
You can read a play-by-play account of the match with Sports Mole below.
Good afternoon! Thank you for joining me for this afternoon's match as Queens Park Rangers and Liverpool look to end 2012 on a high note.
Both sides will be particularly keen to get back to winning ways after disappointing defeats in their last outing. QPR are perhaps more in need of the victory given their league position, but the pressure on Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers is growing with every loss, so he will be desperate to ease that a little bit today.
Right, let's bring you some team news shall we?
QPR make four changes to the lineup that lost 2-1 to West Brom last time out, including a return for Julio Cesar between the sticks.
QPR: Cesar; Traore, Hill, Nelson, Onuoha; Diakite, Taarabt, Wright-Phillips, Mbia; Mackie, Cisse
Liverpool, meanwhile, make three changes to their side as Jordan Henderson, Raheem Sterling and Joe Allen return to the starting XI, while Stewart Dowing retains his place
LIVERPOOL: Reina; Johnson, Enrique, Agger, Skrtel; Gerrard, Allen, Henderson, Downing, Allen, Sterling; Suarez
Needless to say, QPR's defence will have to be on better form than they have been for most of this season if Suarez is in the mood today. The Uruguayan must be among the world's hardest players to mark.
Having Cesar back is a big boost for Rangers, however, as they have not kept a clean sheet in their last five games.
Cisse will face his old side this afternoon, the striker scored 24 goals in 82 appearances during his two seasons at Anfield.
Sterling also returns to his former club today.Liverpool plucked him from the QPR academy at a young age, and he is starting to justify the big fee they paid for such a young player!
Liverpool's Merseyside rivals Everton are currently in action, and trail Chelsea by two goals to one with one minute of stoppage time remaining. I'll inform you of any late drama!
Back to London, though, and let's have a look at the head to head record between these two sides...
The two sides have met 42 times in all competitions, with Liverpool winning 29 and QPR just seven. The last meeting between them ended 3-2 to QPR, however, as they won in the March on their way to Premier League survival.
UPDATE: The match at Goodison Park is OVER! Everton's unbeaten home record is also over as Chelsea held on for a 2-1 win, with Jelavic missing a golden chance to grab a deserved point in the closing stages.
We're just over half an hour away from kickoff at Loftus Road, and QPR will be looking for just their second win of the season to move back level on points with Reading after the Royals beat West Ham 1-0 yesterday.
Liverpool will go into this one as favourites, but their form has been very inconsistent so I think that their chances in this match depend on which Liverpool turn up! Aston Villa and Stoke have both won against Brendan Rodgers's men recently, but a 4-0 win over Fulham showed what they can do when playing at their best.
So this afternoon's game is the final Premier League match of 2012, and what a year of football we have witnessed! The previous season was voted the best in Premier League history, and it ended in the most dramatic fashion possible with an injury time winner from Sergio Aguero, agaist QPR incidentally, gave Man City the title from the fingertips of rivals United.
2012 has been less successful for these two sides, however. Liverpool waved goodbye to Kenny Dalglish despite the Scot winning the League Cup and reaching the final of the FA Cup. Their league performances have been below par, though, while QPR made the worst start to a Premier League season ever.
The New Year will no doubt bring with it optimism for both sets of supporters, and a win this afternoon for either side will raise hopes of a successful 2013 even higher.
Only one side has ever stayed up having been bottom of the table at Christmas - a damning statistic for QPR fans - but Harry Redknapp is still hopeful of survival and has admitted that it would rank as the crowning achievement of his career if he pulls it off.
Speaking of Harry Redknapp, the manager will take charge of his 600th Premier League match this afternoon. Will it be a happy occasion? We'll have the answer for you in around about two hours!
QPR's form as been poor recently, but they're not too far off the pace. Their last six matches have been decided by a solitary goal, most often against them, but if they can start converting a higher percentage of their chances the points will come. They'll still believe that they can stay up.
Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers is not at the ground today, he is too unwell to be in attendance. Assistant manager Colin Pascoe will fill in for the Northern Irishman this afternoon, but he admits that he is also feeling under the weather!
However, Pascoe insists that Rodgers is the one who has picked the side and talked to the players. Will his absence have any impact on the Reds?
Ten minutes from kickoff, it's prediction time! I'm going to stick with the call I made in my match preview and say it will be 2-2, a score I'm sure neither side would be too happy with!
A quick recap of the team news for you, Cesar returns in goal for QPR, while Luis Suarez has shaken off an ankle injury in time to start for Liverpool, whose most notable absence comes in the form of Brendan Rodgers, who is ill.
The teams are in the tunnel, we're just over five minutes from kickoff! This afternoon is an important one for both sides, let's hope for a good end to football in 2012!
Suarez and Gerrard are Liverpool's danger men, but QPR will be looking to get Adel Taarabt on the ball as often as possible. He has the ability to be a match winner on his day, and Liverpool will have to be particularly wary of him.
The teams are lined up, we're almost ready to go!
Anthony Taylor is the man taking charge of this one. He is the man who controversially sent off both Carlton Cole and Darron Gibson before Christmas. Hopefully he'll have a better game today!
Djibril Cisse and Adel Taarabt get us underway!
Liverpool go straight on the attack as they look to make a similar start to the one they did against Stoke, but Suarez fails to control Henderson's pass.
It is the Merseyside outfit who have taken control of the ball in the very early stages though.
Downing tries to slide Suarez in but Hill reads it and intercepts the pass.
SHOT! Suarez jinks past Hill and finds space to shoot. He catches it sweetly but it's fairly comfortable for Cesar, who parrys it out but Allen fluffs his attempted rebound effort.
Traore races down the left and feeds Taarabt, who in turn tries to slip Mackie in, but Reina is off his line quickly to deny the striker, who was offside anyway. A hint of an opener for QPR there though on their first foray forward.
Liverpool have started this one very brightly. They are controlling possession early on, and Redknapp will be concerned by the opening five minutes.
PENALTY SHOUT! QPR want a penalty for a Gerrard handball, but he was too close to the ball, and not even inside the area and the ref correctly waves it away.
QPR have eased their way into the match now and are starting to see more of the ball. Still no clear chances for either side.
GOAL! QPR 0-1 Liverpool (Luis Suarez)
Suarez does what he does best! He attacks Hill and takes it past him way too easily before sliding the ball into the bottom corner. He made that look so easy!
That goal was a mix of poor defending and great attacking. Where would Liverpool be without Suarez this season?! World class player.
Agger advances forward and is found by Gerrard before giving it to Suarez. His attempted pass is eventually picked up by Sterling, but the defence scramble back to clear the danger.
QPR's response to that goal has been... well non-existant.
GOAL! QPR 0-2 Liverpool (Luis Suarez)
Suarez has another! He has looked very lively in this opening quarter of an hour and wriggles down the right before trying to find Sterling in the middle. Onuoha gets back to make a brilliant interception but the ball falls back to Suarez, who lashes it past Cesar from close range. Too easy again for Liverpool.
Mbia is down and writhing in pain on the floor after Gerrard brushes his neck with his arm, eventually causing the ref to stop play. Sure enough he is up and running soon after the stoppage.
Rodgers will be taking nothing for granted. Liverpool were 2-0 up back in March and QPR came back to win 3-2, while they also squandered a lead in their last outing against Stoke.
Taarabt lines up a free kick from around 23 yards but his effort hits the wall. The ball is recycled and eventually comes back into the box, where Mbia tries an ambitious bicycle kick, but it goes way over the bar.
Liverpool are looking comfortable here, attacking at will and dealing with any QPR attacks with ease.
Gerrard finds Downing in a central position and the winger goes for goal, but his shot hits Suarez to clear the danger.
CHANCE! Glen Johnson latches on to a long ball forward inside the box and just pokes it past Cesar. Nelson is on hand to clear the ball over from almost under his own crossbar to deny Suarez and easy tap in for his hattrick. Great defending.
CHANCE! From the resulting corner it is given to Gerrard, whose shot is fumbled by Cesar but Henderson's rebound went just wide.
GOAL! QPR 0-3 Liverpool (Daniel Agger)
QPR are falling apart here. More terrible defending allows Agger to steal in and latch onto Gerrard's cross to power a header past Cesar. I've said it before and by the looks of things I'll say it again: Too easy for Liverpool!
Liverpool are camped in the QPR half at the moment, and Suarez in particular is buzzing about in his own inimitable style. I'll be surprised if he doesn't get another today.
Yet another corner for Liverpool, and again it's played short and Henderson has acres of space to run into a shooting position. His effort fizzes just wide, but where was the defence to close him down?! They're giving Liverpool far too much space all over the field!
Downing looks for space to shoot but for once can't find an opening, so Liverpool go all the way back to the keeper before sweeping forward again, only for Sterling to miscontrol the ball in the box.
It is all Liverpool, and has been for the entire match. It's hard to see QPR staying up if they carry on like this!
OFF THE LINE! Suarez somehow gets through two tackles as only he can before pulling the ball back to Gerrard, who really should score. The Liverpool skipper's effort is blocked just in front of the line before finally being hacked away as it threatened to trickle over.
Diakite is lucky not to enter the referee’s notebook as he wrestles Gerrard to the floor before flying into a challenge on Downing. QPR need to be careful not to lose their heads here.
Taarabt goes for goal with an effort from 25 yards. It’s a good striker but swings past Reina’s post. He looks like the only likely source of a goal for the hosts at the moment.
One minute of added time to play at Loftus Road.
HALF-TIME: QPR 0-3 Liverpool
There you have it, a great half for Liverpool but a truly terrible one for QPR. They have been awful and Liverpool are attacking at will without any threat of conceding at the other end.
Luis Suarez has been a particular menace to the QPR defence, Hill and Nelson just seem unable to deal with the tricky striker.
Taarabt has been the only possible positive for QPR in that first half, and even that is clutching at straws. The playmaker looks like the only one capable of creating anything for the hosts, but he won't be able to do it on his own.
Anyone thinking that this one was a foregone conclusion has been proved right, it's pretty much game over already unless QPR produce a polar opposite performance in the second half to the one they gave in the first.
My prediction of 2-2 is looking pretty silly now!
Right the teams are out, and Derry is on for QPR as a half time sub.
Liverpool get us back underway!
QPR have begun the half with more attacking intent, you can be sure Redknapp didn't mince his words at the break! Whether that will last or not remains to be seen.
Liverpool have a free kick about 10 yards in from where a corner would be and Suarez fires it in to the box, but it is comfortably cleared. Not the best free kick from Suarez there, but he comes again and wins a throw in for his side.
GREAT SAVE! Suarez almost has his third! He gets good contact with a left footed strike from inside the box, but Cesar reacts well to tip it over the bar with a fine stop.
Suarez tries to create another chance having been fed by Sterling, but his touch is too heavy and the ball gets away from him. A better touch and you would've backed him to take on Hill there.
CHANCE! Suarez dinks the ball in invitingly for Gerrard, who is steaming into the box, but Onuoha gets there before the Liverpool skipper, denying him a certain goal.
CHANCE! From the resulting corner no-one picks up Henderson, and the ball is rolled to him inside the box, but his effort flies over the bar.
QPR make a rare foray forward but Enrique comfortably sees Wright-Phillips out of play.
Mackie threatens to find shooting space inside the box but is crowded out by the defence. That's about all QPR fans have been able to cheer today.
YELLOW CARD! Mbia tries to break but goes down softly under the challenge of Johnson and is booked for diving. QPR are starting to come into this match in the past five minutes or so.
CLOSE! That's the closest QPR have come as they work space for Traore in the box, who fires it across the face of goal but no-one can get a touch to it.
SHOT! QPR look like the most likely to score at the moment as Taarabt comes forward and is given space to shoot, but he doesn't get hold of his effort and it's easy for Reina to gather.
The hosts now have a free kick in a very dangerous place as Agger handles the ball after Taarabt tries to take it round him. Granero comes on for Diakite before the free kick, which Taarabt will surely take himself...
SUB: But not before Lucas replaces Henderson!
It is Granero who takes it and that pretty much sums up QPR's afternoon. It trickles harmlessly well wide. Awful effort.
Wright-Phillips tries to shephred the ball out of ball but touches it on the way out and Liverpool have a corner, which finds Skrtel but is eventually cleared.
SHOT! Mbia goes for goal from 25 yards and gets a good connection, but again it's straight at Reina, who hasn't had to make any tough saves today.
QPR are now the ones camped in the opposition half, but they still don't look like scoring really. A goal back would be interesting...
CHANCE! ...and they probably should have a goal back! Some good play leads to Mackie pulling the ball back to Mbia, who has plenty of time to line up a shot on the edge of the box, but his curling effort is placed a long way wide. He should have at least hit the target there.
SUB: Enrique is limping off the field having tweaked his hamstring by the looks of things. On somes Suso so it looks like Downing will drop into left back.
Suarez has a half chance to break clear after Sterling and Gerrard combine to find the Uruguayan, but the ball just doesn't sit up right for him and he eventually loses it. Could've perhaps hit that first time with his left!
QPR have the ball in the net, but only after Mackie has been pulled back for offside. Correct decision.
Sterling isn't done with this game yet, and he attacks Onuoha and tries to squeeze a cross in, but the defender gets back to clear it out from a corner from which Agger's shot is blocked.
Suarez is still buzzing about too! He tries to take on Hill, who has had a torrid time against the striker today, and forces the defender into a handball.
Taarabt is brought down as he attempts to jink his way between two defenders. QPR have a free kick in a good position for a cross...
...but they play it short to Granero whose eventual cross is cleared. Liverpool break and Gerrard has a hint of an opening, but his attempted pass to Sterling is intercepted.
Johnson cuts inside and feeds Sterling, who sends it on against to Downing, but his low cross is blocked. Liverpool have taken their foot off the pedal in this second half, but they can afford to with such a comfortable lead.
Handbags between Suarez and Hill as the striker is unhappy with a challenge from the centre-back, but it quickly simmers down.
YELLOW CARD! Lucas enters the book for a trip on Taarabt, and QPR have another free kick in a very promising position.
SAVE! Mbia lines it up and strikes it towards the goalkeeper's side, which Reina collects without too much fuss.
Liverpool are just knocking the ball about now, they know this game is over and have taken the sting out of it after it looked as if QPR could start to come back into it.
Jamie Carragher is about to enter the fray by the looks of things. He makes his 492nd league appearance for the club to put him joint second with Billy Liddell in the club's all-time appearance list. What a servant he has been.
Joe Allen is the man who makes way for Carragher, who now sits behind only Ian Callaghan in that list.
It's been an improved second half performance from QPR, but it's too little, too late. Redknapp will be very concerned by today's performance.
YELLOW CARD! Fabio recieves a yellow card for a cynical foul on Sterling, who had knocked the ball past his man.
We will have three minutes of added time at Loftus Road.
SHOT! Mbia fires in a decent half-volley that flies wide of Reina's post. He's had a very easy afternoon in between the sticks for Liverpool.
Suarez just never stops running! He looks to be winding up another shot but instead tries to feed Gerrard in the box. He doesn't get enough on his pass, however, as QPR clear the danger.
FULL-TIME: QPR 0-3 Liverpool
It's all over at Loftus Road! Anthony Taylor brings a quiet second half to an end after Liverpool won it in the first 45 minutes.
The three-goal winning margin sends Liverpool up to ninth in the table, while things are looking bleak for QPR who remain bottom of the table having amassed just 10 points from their 20 games.
Right, that's it from me today! And that's also it from Premier League football for 2012! It's been a great year of football and Liverpool have capped it off in style. Thanks for joining Sports Mole and be sure to stay tuned for the match analysis, which will be up on the site in the next half hour or so. Have a very good new year!
Written by
Barney Corkhill
Barney Corkhill
