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AS IT HAPPENED

As it happened: QPR v Liverpool, Premier League

QPR took on Liverpool, as the latter were forced to cope with the temporary absence of Brendan Rodgers.

As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts on the game. E-mail paul@thescore.ie, tweet @thescore_iepost a message to our Facebook wall, or leave a comment below.

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QPR 0-3 Liverpool

Hello, and welcome to this afternoon’s liveblog. Here are the teams:

QPR: Julio Cesar, Onuoha, Nelsen, Hill, Traore, Mackie, Diakite, Mbia, Wright-Phillips, Taarabt, Cisse. Subs: Green, Derry, Ferdinand, Granero, Da Silva, Hoilett, Faurlin.

Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Jose Enrique, Allen, Henderson, Downing, Gerrard, Sterling, Suarez. Subs: Gulacsi, Assaidi, Coates, Lucas, Carragher, Fernandez Saez, Shelvey.

We’re underway…

Liverpool have gone with an interesting formation early on.

Jordan Henderson appears to have been given the most attacking role of their midfield trio – a position he’s not exactly familiar with.

Claims of handball against Steven Gerrard on the edge of the Liverpool area, but the referee waves play on.

The replay reveals, however, that it was the correct decision, as the ball made minimal contact with the Liverpool player’s hand.

GOAL FOR LIVERPOOL!

Liverpool 1-0 QPR: Luis Suarez shows his class once again (9 mins).

The Uruguayan accelerates past the isolated Clint Hill all too easily, before slotting the ball coolly into the corner of the net.

Liverpool have started this game very well.

GOAL FOR LIVERPOOL!

Liverpool 2-0 QPR: The hosts simply can’t cope with Luiz Suarez at the moment (14 mins).

The striker makes a purposeful run down the by-line. His subsequent cross is intercepted by Onuoha, however the defender’s clearance falls back into his path, and he makes no mistake with a simple finish from close range.

Here’s a look at those two Suarez goals.

YouTube credit: fusbalwetten

YouTube credit: VideoliveHD2

GOAL FOR LIVERPOOL!

Liverpool 3-0 QPR: Another goal that seems all too easy (27 mins).

Steven Gerrard produces an excellent cross from a short corner, and an unmarked Daniel Agger heads home powerfully.

QPR continue to look distinctly uncomfortable every time Liverpool attack.

This has been a performance of Aston Villa-esque awfulness from the London club.

That’s not to take anything away from the impressive manner in which Liverpool have controlled the play, while dispatching their chances with ruthless aplomb.

Suarez crosses to Gerrard, and his side-footed finish is cleared off the line by the QPR goalkeeper.

It’s not often you say this, but the hosts are in fact lucky to be only 3-0 down.

Taarabt at least produces a shot on target from distance, which fails to trouble Reina, as it’s straight at him.

You get the feeling that QPR are dead in this game unless they can get at least one goal back before half-time.

The London club have, however, come back from two goals against Liverpool earlier this year.

Another pot shot from Taarabt goes just wide.

The enigmatic midfielder is at least taking on some responsibility for his side, in stark contrast with others.

HALF-TIME: QPR 0-3 LIVERPOOL

Here’s a video depicting what might well be akin to Brendan Rodgers’ reaction to news that Liverpool are leading 3-0 at half-time.

YouTube credit: ultranerd71

And here’s a look at Agger’s third goal:

YouTube credit: videofilm69

So at half-time, following their difficulties against Stoke, a Luis Suarez-inspired Liverpool suddenly look a force to be reckoned with again.

The 3-0 scoreline is a fair reflection of Brendan Rodgers’ side’s dominance and consequently, barring a miracle, the second half looks set to be a dead rubber.

Today’s proceedings also illustrate that Harry Redknapp is no magician, and if QPR are to avoid relegation, it clearly won’t be an easy task.

The less said about this tweet, the better…

The second half is underway, and Derry is on in place of Cisse for QPR.

Another powerful strike from Luis Suarez is tipped over acrobatically by Cesar, following a good run by Sterling.

If QPR aren’t careful, they could be on the end of an absolute mauling today.

N.B. This isn’t actually by the official Liverpool account, hilarious though it is.

Jose Enrique shrugs off Shaun Wright-Phillips, allowing the ball to drift out harmlessly for a goal kick.

The incident highlights the contrasting form of the two players at the moment

Disastrous corner by QPR as a cross from Taarabt misses its intended target, Shaun Wright-Phillips, and instead finds Suarez, allowing the Uruguayan to launch a Liverpool counter-attack.

There have been far too many instances of QPR’s ineptitude in today’s game.

QPR are at least showing some signs of life now.

Taarabt is causing Liverpool some problems, and the hosts are belatedly winning the possession battle.

Despite QPR’s improvement, Liverpool still look relatively comfortable, even though they’ve dropped their first-half intensity to an extent.

The hosts have been reduced to pot shots for the most part.

(Liverpool’s Daniel Agger celebrates scoring his side’s third goal of the game – Nick Potts/PA Wire/Press Association Images)

It’s been a relatively dull, incident-free second half, unsurprisingly.

Liverpool know they have the game effectively won, while QPR look a little demoralised, after being outplayed in the first 45.

With ten minutes remaining, Fabio replaces the disappointing Shaun Wright Phillips.

Liverpool are coasting to victory.

Mbia has a free kick in a good position just outside the box.

His curling strike, though, is comfortably saved by Reina.

Here’s a quick poll, given that there’s not too much happening on the pitch right now.

Will QPR avoid relegation?


Poll Results:

It depends on who they sign in January (126)
No (108)
Other (29)
Yes (4)

Three minutes of added time before QPR and their fans are put out of their misery…

(It’s been a good day’s work for Luis Suarez – Sang Tan/AP/Press Association Images)

FULL-TIME: QPR 0-3 LIVERPOOL

It’s finished, and it’s been a day to forget for Harry Redknapp and co.

Their largely lifeless display was marked by some incompetent defending and a lack of quality in virtually every area of the pitch.

Today was as concise a demonstration as any as to why they’re currently bottom of the table.

Liverpool, meanwhile, exposed the opposition’s weaknesses in an accomplished fashion, with Luis Suarez leading the way as ever.

Brendan Rodgers will therefore hope his side can use this game as a template, and continue to play similarly with the remainder of the season.

Right that’s it from me for now and for the Premier League until 2013.

Stay tuned though, as we have ‘5 things we learned about this weekend’s action’ coming up shortly on the site.

Thanks for reading and commenting, and happy New Year to you all.

As it happened: Everton v Chelsea, Premier League>

VIDEO: Cameron Jerome scores one of the best goals you’ll see this season>

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