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Charlie Austin had a great chance for QPR. PA WIRE
AS IT HAPPENED

As it happened: QPR v Liverpool, Premier League

QPR take on Liverpool, as Brendan Rodgers’ side bid to improve on a below-par start to their campaign.

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Hello, and welcome to our first liveblog of the day.

The teams are out and Rio Ferdinand is dropped to the bench, with Richard Dunne coming in.

QPR: McCarthy, Isla, Onuoha, Dunne, Caulker, Suk-Young, Henry, Fer, Sandro, Austin, Zamora.

LIVERPOOL: Mignolet, Johnson, Skrtel, Lovren, Enrique, Gerrard, Can, Sterling, Henderson, Lallana, Balotelli.

Can he break his duck against Liverpool today?

Soccer - Barclays Premier League - Queens Park Rangers v Liverpool - Loftus Road PA Wire / Press Association Images PA Wire / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

(Queens Park Rangers fans outside Loftus Road before kick-off)

This is a massive game for Liverpool with Real Madrid around the corner. Also, this is the sort of game that they won with ease last season so if they want to start climbing the table there is no better place to start than Loftus Road.

And what about the QPR fans out there? Is Harry Redknapp on his way out? Their form has been poor so far and another few bad results could spell the end of ‘arry.

‘It is a new challenge for Brendan Rodgers, picking sides based on games that are coming up. That is a challenge that he didn’t have last season.’ – Jamie Carragher on Sky talking about Rodgers’ selection dilemmas ahead of the Madrid game.

Roy Hodgson is in the house. Hopefully he starts trolling Rodgers at some stage.

Emre Can was bought by Liverpool as a potential replacement for Steven Gerrard. What should we expect from him today?

We are off at Loftus Road!

Sterling robs the ball in midfield and almost makes a break but Richard Dunne nips in to poke the ball away.

First chance goes to QPR. Zamora cushions the ball down to Austin who fires over wildly.

A long free kick gets helped into the box by Caulker but Mignolet collects before anything can develop.

Lallana links up with Jose Enrique on the left wing but QPR defend well and put it out for a throw in.

Liverpool break well and Gerrard finds Can who slips the ball to Henderson high on the left wing. The midfielder’s cross is almost turned into something by Balotelli but once again QPR defend well.

QPR have a corner now.

Nothing comes of it but we have had an exciting start to the game. QPR are playing with confidence.

What a chance for QPR! Charlie Austin bundles the ball past Glen Johnson and then Martin Skrtel before Mignolet makes a nice save. Worrying for Liverpool how easily they coughed up that chance though.

Sterling is forced to track back all the way to his own goal now as QPR continue to threaten.

Sterling slips a lovely ball behind the defence to Balotelli. Despite the clever run by the Italian, the ball gets stuck under his feet and Caulker clears.

Everything is being played between the two boxes at the moment but QPR are crowding Liverpool out really well in midfield.

Rodgers and Hodgson set for a showdown after the game.

Jordan Henderson beats the QPR defence but has his shot saved. The linesman’s flag goes up for offside but replays show it was the wrong decision.

Henderson  looks to have played a lovely diagonal ball to Lallana but winger lets the ball bounce and it runs out for a goalkick.

Balotelli tries to get inside Dunne but his shot is blocked into the hands of goalkeeper Alex McCarthy.

Zamora gets behind Lovren and rolls a perfect pass into the path of Leroy Fer but his shot is too high and clips the top of the bar. Another great chance for QPR.

Bobby Zamora is ‘bullying’ the Liverpool defence according to Gary Neville.

Liverpool have a corner after a Balotelli cross is blocked by Richard Dunne.

Gerrard, Lallana and Sterling work a brilliant short corner routine but Lallana’s shot is blocked and cleared.

Johnson cuts insde the QPR defence -Arjen Robben style- but drags his shot wide.

Should Fer have scored this chance?

How did QPR not score?!? Sandro heads off the bar and then Austin and the midfielder both have chances cleared off the line. Liverpool are very, very, very lucky not to be behind.

Balotelli gets the ball just outside the box and opens his body….but shoots very high and very wide.

Liverpool didn’t come into the game in great form, but they are making QPR look like Mourinho’s Chelsea.

Here is that crazy goalmouth scramble from a few minutes ago. How did the ball not go in?!?

Gerrard tries one of his trademark sweeping passes to Johnson high on the right but it is too long and goes out for a goal kick. Gerrard has been very quiet so far.

QPR have a free kick on the edge of the area after Can catches Zamora.

Zamora’s free goes harmlessly over.

Gerrard finds himself alone at the edge of the QPR box and his drive flashes an inch past the post.

HT QPR 0-0 Liverpool

It’s been an exciting half but QPR will be furious that they haven’t opened their account after great chances for Leroy Fer and Charlie Austin. Liverpool have been dreadful for most of the half and that Gerrard shot at the end was their only threatening moment.

Jamie Carragher and Kevin Phillips both think Glen Johnson should have been sent off for a challenge on Sandro during that goalmouth scramble. It was hard to see at the time but Johnson caught Sandro in the chest with his studs. Hard for the referee to see it though, since there were so many bodies around the goal.

Richard Dunne is playing great for QPR and many people have had a similar thought in how to describe his performance on Balotelli.

 

 

We are off in the second half and already QPR have had a chance. Sandro’s low shot was expertly saved by Mignolet.

Immediately Liverpool break down the other end and Lallana plays in Henderson on the right hand side of the box but his shot goes miles over.

Can’s ball almost plays in Sterling but once again, Richard Dunne comes to QPR’s rescue and clears it.

QPR have a corner after Fer’s cross is blocked.

Austin crosses the ball in and Lovren completely misjudges the flight of it. Luckily for the Croatian, the bounce beats Zamora too and goes out.

Balotelli has been poor again for Liverpool. It wouldn’t be surprising if he comes off soon.

Liverpool have their first decent spell of possession all game but it ends with another tame Johnson shot that McCarthy holds.

At the other end, Charlie Austin tries a shot from a very tight angle that goes just wide.

Sterling cuts inside of Dunne on the left wing and curls a dangerous ball across the box but nobody makes a run and the ball drifts wide.

Liverpool are getting more of the ball in advanced areas but QPR’s defence is still holding firm.

Traore is on for the injured Sandro for QPR.

Oh good lord, Balotelli! Adam Lallana’s shot is parried into the path of Balotelli who skies the ball despite being unmarked and no more than six yards away from the goal.

Is this the miss of the season so far?

Coutinho and Allen are on for Lallana and Can.

Richard Dunne again gets his body in the way of a cross but Liverpool have a corner.

GOAL! QPR 0-1 Liverpool

Liverpool take a quick free kick and Raheem Sterling’s low cross is turned into the net by Richard Dunne.

Very unlucky from Dunne who was having a really good game up to then. A good low cross from Sterling though. Dunne couldn’t really do much about it.

Poor Richard Dunne…

 

Liverpool call for a penalty after Dunne dispossesses Balotelli. Phil Dowd says no and it looks to be the right call.

Zamora tees up Austin and his sidefooted shot is parried by Mignolet.

Liverpool are pressing forward regularly now and Gerrard rolls the ball into Balotelli on the right but QPR block his shot again. Liverpool have a free on the right wing now.

Gerrard’s free is caught by McCarthy.

Zamora is off for Eduardo Vargas. Zamora has been brilliant today. Caused the Liverpool defence issues every time the ball went near him.

Balotelli plays a beautiful through ball in the direction of Sterling but Caulker makes an excellent tackle to poke the ball back to McCarthy.

QPR are pressing for an equaliser at the moment. Fer whips the ball into the box but Mignolet punches clear. The keeper catches Skrtel in the process and the defender is currently receiving treatment.

QPR have a corner now.

Traore almost scores but his header is clawed away by Mignolet.

Liverpool break well and Henderson plays in Balotelli on the right once again. He skips into the box but his shot is saved by McCarthy.

GOAL! QPR 1-1 Liverpool

Another long ball into the area causes trouble. Vargas plays the ball to Austin but continues his run and meets the cross on the volley to equalise.

Enrique did terrible for the equaliser. He had a chance to head it clear but only nodded it into the path of Vargas who started the move. QPR are pressing for the winner now and have a corner.

GOAL! QPR 1-2 Liverpool

Liverpool break from defence through Sterling, who finds Gerrard in an advanced role. Gerrard plays in Coutinho, who cuts inside and blasts a deflected shot into the bottom corner.

GOAL! QPR 2-2 Liverpool

QPR equalise immediately! They force a corner and Vargas runs across Henderson and his header just crosses the line before Mignolet can scramble it away.

QPR have one last free kick to try and force a winner.

GOAL! QPR 2-3 Liverpool

Football, bloody hell! The free kick is headed out to Coutinho, who splits the defence and finds Sterling on the left hand side of the box. The winger’s cross is bundled home by Caulker for QPR’s second own goal of the game.

FT QPR 2-3 Liverpool

What a finish! That is one of the luckier wins you will see all season. Four goals in the final seven minutes gives Liverpool a dramatic late win.

QPR somehow came away from that game with nothing. Poor Tony Fernandes looks like he’s been punched in the gut. Rodgers is delighted.

Thanks for joining us for our liveblog today, hope you enjoyed the frantic finish at Loftus Road! Join us again next weekend as we recap more of the live action.

Oh, here are the last fours goals from the game too, in order.

 
https://vine.co/v/ObJT5h6VbYh

 

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