Unlucky QPR beaten after incredible finale
QPR 2 Liverpool 3
Steven Caulker’s last-gasp own goal meant bottom-of-the-table QPR lost again despite a vastly improved display in an incredible match at Loftus Road.
Eduardo Vargas scored two late equalisers, first after Richard Dunne’s own goal and then, deep into injury time, after Philippe Coutinho had just put Liverpool 2-1 up.
The Chile forward, on as a substitute, seemed to have salvaged a deserved point for the R’s but in the final seconds Caulker’s attempt to cut out Raheem Sterling’s pass to an unmarked Mario Balotelli led to the unlucky defender finding his own net.
Rangers had dominated large parts of the game, with Leroy Fer hitting the Reds bar twice in the first half.
With his position under scrutiny after a dismal start to the season, Rangers manager Harry Redknapp made major changes.
He switched to a 4-4-2 formation with Fer playing from the left, while Dunne came in, Mauricio Isla was deployed on the right flank, Yun Suk-Young was given a Premier League debut and Bobby Zamora started up front alongside Charlie Austin.
There was also a debut for summer signing Alex McCarthy, with the goalkeeper coming in for Rob Green, who has tonsillitis.
Redknapp called for more energy from his side and they responded, pressing Liverpool with an intensity that was sorely lacking in previous matches.
They came close to scoring early on when Austin bundled his way past two challenges and was denied by keeper Simon Mignolet before shooting into the side netting from an awkward angle as he tried to bury the resulting loose ball.
And an unmarked Fer missed a glorious chance when he fired against the top of the bar from 10 yards out after Zamora had pulled the ball back from the right.
Fer almost atoned when found by Zamora’s right-wing cross but after the Dutchman’s header bounced off the woodwork, Austin could not force the ball past Glen Johnson on the line and Martin Skrtel was eventually able to clear.
QPR kept up the pressure after the interval and Sandro had an effort saved by Mignolet but the Brazilian midfielder suffered another injury setback on the hour mark and limped off.
Rangers suddenly lost their way and were rescued by a fine save by McCarthy and Balotelli’s poor finishing.
With the home defence under pressure, Isla inadvertently nudged the ball into Adam Lallana’s path and after McCarthy did superbly to get a hand to the midfielder’s shot, Balotelli wastefully fired over from the rebound.
But there was nothing McCarthy could do on 67 minutes, when Dunne turned Johnson’s low cross into his own net following a quickly taken free-kick after substitute Armand Traore had been harshly adjudged to have fouled Sterling.
Once Traore’s weak close-range header was saved, Rangers’ best chance of an equaliser appeared to have gone.
But Vargas hauled them level with his first goal for the club, belting home after Austin had headed the ball back across goal.
Liverpool hit back in the 89th minute when Sterling found Steven Gerrard and the former England captain picked out Coutinho, who steered a low shot beyond McCarthy.
Yet there was still time for Vargas to head home Fer’s left-wing corner at the near post and Liverpool to again regain the lead in an amazing end to the game.
QPR (4-4-2): McCarthy; Onuoha, Dunne, Caulker, Yun; Isla (Phillips 45), Henry; Sandro, Fer; Austin, Zamora (Vargas 79).
Subs not used: Murphy, Traore, Ferdinand, Kranjcar, Hoilett.
Follow West London Sport on Twitter
Find us on Facebook
