Match ends, Queens Park Rangers 2, Manchester City 2.
QPRQueens Park Rangers2Man CityManchester City2
- Aguero hits two as QPR twice lose lead
- Austin has controversial goal ruled out
- City trail leaders Chelsea by eight points
- QPR move off bottom of table
Champions Manchester City fell eight points behind league leaders Chelsea after drawing at Queens Park Rangers.
Rangers' Charlie Austin had an early effort ruled out as City keeper Joe Hart's two-touch free-kick in the build-up did not leave the penalty box.
Moments later, Austin beat Hart with a low effort but Sergio Aguero finished smartly to level before the break.
Austin's cross forced Martin Demichelis into an own goal, but Aguero responded by rounding Rob Green to level.
The Argentine now has 12 goals in as many Premier League matches but his brilliance will only serve as mild consolation for City fans who have seen their side lose again in Europe and draw with struggling QPR less than a week after success in the Manchester derby.
Defeat to CSKA Moscow on Wednesday prompted widespread criticism of the Premier League champions and they now trail league leaders Chelsea - winners earlier in the day at Liverpool - by eight points, remaining third.
A crumb of comfort may exist in the fact City had two points fewer at the same stage last season, but the crisis in confidence raised by boss Manuel Pellegrini in midweek seemed prevalent at Loftus Road.
Without injured captain Vincent Kompany, City were pressured early on by Harry Redknapp's side, who move off the bottom, leapfrogging Burnley who beat Hull earlier.
Austin, who now has four goals in his last three Premier League games, was at the centre of their good work and he headed past Hart but saw his effort ruled out for offside.
When the City keeper played the resulting free-kick straight to the R's talisman, he smashed into the net but referee Mike Dean again cut celebrations short after spotting Hart had touched the ball twice, with his first touch, vitally, not leaving the area.
Austin persisted and buried Eduardo Vargas's pass to open the scoring, but Aguero was unshaken by the game's frenetic nature.
He collected Eliaquim Mangala's long ball brilliantly to find space and clip a leveller through the body of Rob Green.
QPR have just two wins this season but showed more enthusiasm in the second period as Leroy Fer struck wide before Austin's cross was powered in by Demichelis under pressure from Bobby Zamora.
A City response arrived as Aguero's shot was cleared off the line by Richard Dunne and Stephen Caulker did the same to deny James Milner before QPR's resilience was broken by the exceptional Aguero.
The league's top scorer collected another long pass - this time from Yaya Toure - to evade the QPR keeper again, wrong-foot back-tracking home defenders and add a measured finish.
City pressed and found a brave Joey Barton block in the way of a goal-bound Toure shot, but QPR held on to deliver a further blow to their title hopes.
Line-ups
QPR
Formation 4-4-2
- 1Green
- 14IslaBooked at 37mins
- 22DunneBooked at 40mins
- 4Caulker
- 13Yun
- 24VargasBooked at 45mins
- 20Henry
- 30Guimaraes CordeiroBooked at 19minsSubstituted forBartonat 45'minutes
- 10Fer
- 25Zamora
- 9Austin
Substitutes
- 6Hill
- 7Phillips
- 8Barton
- 12McCarthy
- 15Onuoha
- 19Kranjcar
- 23Hoilett
Man City
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Hart
- 3SagnaBooked at 55mins
- 26Demichelis
- 20Mangala
- 22Clichy
- 25FernandinhoSubstituted forDzekoat 64'minutesSubstituted forLampardat 68'minutes
- 6Reges
- 15Navas
- 42Y Touré
- 8NasriBooked at 45minsSubstituted forMilnerat 74'minutes
- 16Agüero
Substitutes
- 5Zabaleta
- 7Milner
- 10Dzeko
- 13Caballero
- 18Lampard
- 35Jovetic
- 38Boyata
- Referee:
- Mike Dean
- Attendance:
- 18,005
Match Stats
Home TeamQPRAway TeamMan City
- Possession
- Home41%
- Away59%
- Shots
- Home17
- Away24
- Shots on Target
- Home4
- Away7
- Corners
- Home7
- Away7
- Fouls
- Home9
- Away10
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Queens Park Rangers 2, Manchester City 2.
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Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Joey Barton.
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Attempt blocked. Sergio Agüero (Manchester City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Jesús Navas.
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Attempt blocked. Yaya Touré (Manchester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by James Milner.
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Attempt missed. Charlie Austin (Queens Park Rangers) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Eduardo Vargas with a cross following a corner.
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Corner, Queens Park Rangers. Conceded by Eliaquim Mangala.
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Foul by Frank Lampard (Manchester City).
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Joey Barton (Queens Park Rangers) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Goal!
Goal! Queens Park Rangers 2, Manchester City 2. Sergio Agüero (Manchester City) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Yaya Touré with a through ball.
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Hand ball by Charlie Austin (Queens Park Rangers).
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Attempt missed. Eliaquim Mangala (Manchester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Bacary Sagna following a corner.
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Attempt missed. Bacary Sagna (Manchester City) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left following a corner.
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Corner, Manchester City. Conceded by Joey Barton.
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Attempt blocked. James Milner (Manchester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Bacary Sagna.
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Attempt saved. Yaya Touré (Manchester City) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
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Attempt blocked. James Milner (Manchester City) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Jesús Navas with a cross.
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Attempt missed. Eduardo Vargas (Queens Park Rangers) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Yun Suk-Young with a cross.
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Attempt blocked. Leroy Fer (Queens Park Rangers) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
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Foul by MartÃn Demichelis (Manchester City).
