QPR and Burnley will both be playing Championship football next season. Despite beating fellow relegation strugglers Hull City 1-0 on Saturday, Sean Dyche's side can't now escape the drop into England's second tier. QPR surrendered their Premier League status with a shattering 6-0 defeat away at reigning champions Manchester City on Sunday. Only the third relegation place is now left to be decided, with just two games still to play of the current season.
Hull City 0 Burnley 1 (Half-time 0-0)
A battling away victory at Hull was not sufficient for Burnley to resurrect their admittedly feint hopes of retaining Premier League status.
Danny Ings netted their winner with a crisp strike on 65 minutes, but results elsewhere down at the bottom of the table went against them. Hull for their part could bemoan their bad fortune on the day, with Robbie Brady twice hitting the woodwork.
The damning statistic of no goals before Ings' winner in the previous 10 hours of action for the visitors tell its own story. Without goals, no team is likely to take many points in the cut-throat top league in England. They simply left themselves with too much ground to make up over the closing weeks of their campaign. A disappointing return of just six wins so far in the league has condemned them to a rapid return to a league that they had only escaped last year.
Manager Dyche still has belief in his players though and that "there is growth" based on their displays this season. He told the BBC that he expects that the Clarets "will be competitive" next year and have every chance of gaining promotion once again.
Burnley were slightly unfortunate that their much-needed success at Hull did not at least prolong their survival hopes.
With Sunderland, Leicester City and Aston Villa all winning, combined with Newcastle's 1-1 draw at home to West Brom, Burnley's fate was confirmed.
Manchester City 6 QPR 0 (Half-time 2-0)
Burnley's three points at Hull had moved them (albeit forlornly) above QPR, pushing Rangers back to the foot of the table overnight. They remained firmly rooted in that position after being thrashed at the City of Manchester Stadium, as Sergio Aguero's hat-trick condemned them to relegation.
It was a disappointing conclusion to what has been a rear-guard action for much of their time back in the top flight. They were behind after just four minutes, as the Argentinian hot-shot capitalised on weak defending to beat Rob Green in goal. Aleksandar Kolarov added a second shortly after the half-hour mark from a free-kick, effectively settling the result there and then.
City ran riot after the break and could easily have scored more than the four goals that they did end up adding. Aguero scored his second just after the interval and then completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot on 65 minutes. Further gloss was added to what was already a commanding position in the final quarter of the match.
James Milner notched City's fifth and David Silva completed the rout three minutes from time.
It was no more than QPR deserved, as Chris Ramsey's men fell through the trap door and back into the Championship.
The remaining relegation place
With two games remaining of the season, five teams are still involved in the relegation scrap. Hull occupy the final relegation position at present, but Aston Villa, Leicester, Sunderland and Newcastle are all still in danger.