Sergio Aguero scored a hat-trick as Manchester City sealed Queens Park Rangers' relegation from the Premier League with a 6-0 victory at Eastlands on Sunday.
The thrashing left QPR bottom of the table, nine points adrift from safety and with only a maximum of six available to the west London club from their final two league games of this season.
By contrast, victory saw deposed champions City stay second behind title-winners Chelsea and secure their place in next season's Champions League.
Any thoughts of an improbable survival mission for Chris Ramsey's side were dashed as early as the fourth minute when Aguero, the leading scorer in the Premier League this season, shrugged off some weak tackles before beating QPR goalkeeper Robert Green.
Aleksandar Kolarov doubled City's lead with a well-struck free-kick from the edge of the box in the 32nd minute.
That pretty much put the result beyond reasonable doubt but City saw Aguero make it 3-0 in the 50th minute after South Korea's Yun Suk-young failed to clear a through ball from David Silva.
A miserable day for QPR's travelling fans got worse when, after Silva was brought down in the box, Aguero completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 65th minute to take his tally in the Premier League this season to 25 goals.
Aguero then turned provider to set up James Milner for City's fifth goal in the 70th minute before Silva completed the rout three minutes from time.
QPR, whose chairman is Malaysian businessman Tony Fernandes, will now return to the Championship following their promotion via the play-off last season.
They will be joined in the second tier by Burnley, whose relegation was confirmed on Saturday.
The third and final relegation place is currently occupied by Hull City but several other clubs are also in danger of being demoted.