Anfield waved farewell to a club legend this afternoon as Jamie Carragher helped Liverpool to a 1-0 win over Queens Park Rangers in his 737th and final game for the Reds.
The Reds should have taken the lead early on when Philippe Coutinho's header appeared to cross the line, but referee Martin Atkinson ruled that it had been cleared in time.
Coutinho wouldn't be denied a second time, however, as he scored the only goal of the match with a low strike from 25 yards into the bottom corner.
Carragher almost had a fairytale ending to his career when he went for a speculative effort from 35 yards, only to see his strike bounce back off the post.
You can read how the whole 90 minutes unfolded with Sports Mole's live play-by-play coverage below.
Right, that's it from me today. Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole on what was a thrilling final day of the Premier League season. It was emotional here as Anfield bode farewell to one of it's greatest ever servants. Jamie Carragher bowed out in style and Liverpool secured a 1-0 win over QPR. I will leave you with Kristian's match report, and be sure to stick around for the analysis, which will be on site within half an hour. From me though, it's goodbye!
These two clubs face very different summers. Liverpool will be looking to build upon what they have now after a transitional season, but QPR will have to completely rebuild after their expensive experiment did not pay off.
One such player is Jordon Ibe, who made his debut for the club this afternoon and put in a strong performance. He is the seventh Academy player to make his debut this season, so Brendan Rodgers is obviously putting a lot of faith in the youth set up at the club.
Carragher will be first to tell you that Liverpool will go on without him, though, and the end of the season that they have enjoyed will give them plenty of hope for next season. They will lose some of the heartbeat with his retirement, but they still have Gerrard and an increasing number of players are coming through the Academy.
On his 35-yard strike that agonisingly hit the post, Carragher has said, "I can't believe it never went in!" You and me both Jamie!
Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has paid tribute to Carragher following his final appearance. The defender said on Twitter: "Jamie Carragher has been a top player for LFC,a great reader of the game and always demanded high standards of those around him, top lad too."
What a career Carragher has had for Liverpool. Today was his 737th appearance for the club, a tally which puts him second in the all-time list behind just Ian Callaghan. He has won two FA Cups, two League Cups, one Champions League, one UEFA Cup, one Community Shield and two UEFA Super Cups. He was also named Liverpool Player of the Year in both 2005 and 2007, both seasons in which Liverpool reached the Champions League final.
Jamie Carragher has spoken after his final game of an illustrious career, and he was quick to thank the fans for their support.
So, Liverpool finish the season in seventh place while QPR end it rock bottom. You can view the final Premier League table from 2012-13 here.
Despite such heavy spending, I think it is Reading and Wigan who are better placed to come straight back up from the Championship. I fear QPR may be facing another prolonged spell in the doldrums.
As for QPR, manager Harry Redknapp has an unenviable task ahead of him. There will surely be a mass exodus from the club as many of their big-earners will not want to play in the Championship and, even if they did, QPR may not be able to afford them.
Back to Anfield, though, and Brendan Rodgers will be very happy with what he saw this afternoon. His side have ended the season in fine form, which will increase optimism for next season. If he can add a couple more players to the squad he has now, Liverpool could well be back challenging for a top four spot next season.
Those scores mean, of course, that Arsenal have secured the final Champions League spot ahead of Tottenham, although it was very tense in the closing stages. What an end to the season!
Here are the other scores from around the country:
Chelsea 2-1 Everton; Man City 2-3 Norwich; Newcastle 0-1 Arsenal; Southampton 1-1 Stoke; Swansea 0-3 Fulham; Tottenham 1-0 Sunderland; West Brom 5-5 Man Utd; West Ham 4-2 Reading; Wigan 2-2 Aston Villa
That wasn't the only crazy event to happen on the final day of the Premier League season, however. There have been some extraordinary scores elsewhere, most notable of which came at the Hawthorns where West Brom scored three late goals to draw 5-5 with Manchester United in Sir Alex Ferguson's 1500th and final match in charge. You just can't write this stuff!
The moment of the match was very nearly created by the man of the moment. Jamie Carragher, who hasn't scored a goal for over seven years, hit the post with a 35-yard screamer. What a way that would have been to end your career at the club, scoring a goal of the season contender at the Kop end of Anfield! Carragher was inches away from doing just that.
QPR created very little going forward throughout the whole match. Bobby Zamora had their best chance right at the end of the first half, but he failed to even connect with the ball when he probably should have scored. Mackie also had a sight of goal late in the second half, but other than that it was a quiet game for the Liverpool defence.
It should have been more than 1-0 as the Reds dominated from start to finish, but despite their superiority they didn't create too many clear-cut chances. Even so, Coutinho had an early header wrongly disallowed after the ref ruled that it hadn't crossed the line.
The referee brings an end to a comfortable match for Liverpool and also brings an end to Jamie Carragher's Liverpool career. The stalwart bows out with a win and a clean sheet as Liverpool beat QPR 1-0 courtesy of a Philippe Coutinho strike in the first half.
CHANCE! QPR have a late chance to steal a draw, but Mackie curls his effort high and wide. That should be that.
UPDATE: There has been a crazy match at the Hawthorns as West Brom and Manchester United are now drawing 5-5! Bale has also scored for Tottenham, which will make Arsenal's last few minutes against Newcastle very tense indeed.
There will be three minutes of added time at Anfield. Liverpool have dominated this game, but if it remains 1-0 QPR will still have a chance.
SHOT! Liverpool have had so much possession and plenty of shots, but their finishing has been a bit wayward at times. This latest is one such effort as Suso flashes a shot well wide.
The Anfield faithful are now singing about how they dream of a team of Carraghers. Based on today's performance, that side might even score the odd goal!
LIVERPOOL SUB: This is the sub we were expecting as Anfield rises as one to salute Jamie Carragher as he leaves the pitch for the final time. He came so close to signing off with a magnificent goal, but looks like he has kept a clean sheet at least. What a servant Carragher has been. He is replaced by Coates.
SAVE! Surely Liverpool's second goal is not far away?! Suso looks offside when he collects the ball but there is no flag. The youngster tees up Enrique on the edge of the box and the full-back makes good conatct with his first-time shot, but Green again beats it away.
CHANCE! Big chance for Liverpool to seal all three points. Sturridge gives the ball to Suso, who shows good feet to work space to shoot from a tight angle. Green parries the effort in to a dangerous area where Downing is waiting, but Traore makes a goal-saving block to deny the winger.
Sturridge hasn't had as many chances as he might have expected in today's match given Liverpool's domination. He is almost in on goal after a Traore mistake, but the angle is too tight for the shot and he is eventually crowded out by the defence.
SAVE! Suso almost makes an immediate impact as he picks up a loose ball on the edge of the box. He takes a touch before hitting a well-struck shot towards the bottom corner, but Green is down comfortably enough to save.
LIVERPOOL SUB: Liverpool goalscorer Philippe Coutinho is about to make way for Suso. The Brazilian has had a fine game this afternoon and Liverpool fans will be salivating over the prospect of him getting better and better next season.
Say what you like about the QPR defenders, they aren't shy of putting their bodies on the line. Coutinho fires a very powerful strike towards goal, only for Onuoha to block it bravely. They have thrown themselves in the way of everything so far.
YELLOW CARD! Andros Townsend becomes the latest player in the referee's notebook for a word out of place after Atkinson had refused to give him a free kick.
Carragher shows that there is still gas in the tank yet by keeping up with Remy before giving the ball back to Reina very calmly. He has had a very good game in his final appearance.
Downing skips past two tackles before seeing his powerful strike well blocked. He wants a penalty, but it looks like it hit the QPR man's chest and it would've been a harsh penalty even if it had hit the arm. If Liverpool were awarded a penalty, though, would Carragher take it I wonder?
Liverpool are camped in the opposition half at the moment, and have been for pretty much the entire match. The second goal is surely just around the corner.
YELLOW CARD! Shaun Derry picks up a yellow card for a challenge on Henderson. That's quite a soft caution, it must be said.
Between that Carragher strike and the sub Liverpool had two more chances but were only denied by fine fine last-ditch defending.
LIVERPOOL SUB: I'm still struggling to get over that Carragher strike, but I must bring you the news that Ibe's debut is over. He has performed well and is one to watch for the future. He is replaced by Fabio Borini.
OFF THE POST! OH MY WORD! Carragher has been urged to shoot all game from range, and was an effort it is! I doubt, in all of his 737 appearances for Liverpool, Carragher has ever hit a shot that well. It rockets towards the top corner but comes back off the post! What an effort, that would have been the best way to end his exceptional career. Seven years since his last goal and he almost scores from 30 yards!
Stewart Downing shows good pace to race into the box with a powerful run. The angle gets tighter and tighter the closer he gets to goal, however, and his eventual shot hits the side netting. Half the ground think it is in, and for a while I do too, but it was the wrong side of the post for Liverpool fans. Very good run though.
UPDATE: Elsewhere, Norwich have taken the lead against Manchester City, United now lead West Brom 4-2 and Southampton have equalised against Stoke. Goals galore!
UPDATE! There have been a flurry of goals across the country just now, the most important of which has gone to Arsenal. Koscielny got the goal to give them a 1-0 lead, which would be enough to secure them Champions League football next season.
There is one of those blocks I was talking about. It is exhibition stuff from Liverpool as Coutinho's high ball is expertly laid off by Downing to Sturridge, who takes a touch before volleying it goalwards. It is going on target, so Traore's block is an important one.
Liverpool have had 10 corners already today, while QPR have had none. The hosts have had the lion's share of possession but QPR have an uncanny knack for getting blocks in.
SAVE! Downing feeds the ball into Johnson, who has raced beyond his winger yet again. He takes a touch before firing towards goal and his effort takes a big deflection off Derry, forcing Green to change direction and make a good, solid save.
CLOSE! Ibe is enjoying himself out there on his debut. He cuts inside from the left flank and tries to curl a very ambitious shot into the far corner. It is not a bad effort at all, but flies narrowly wide with Green stranded.
SAVE! Coutinho moves the ball along the edge of the box to Enrique, who stretches to reach it before going for goal. His strike isn't the best but it bounces just in front of Green who parries it into a dangerous area and it needs to be cleared by Hill.
KICKOFF: We're back underway at Anfield as Liverpool get us restarted. This is the final 45 minutes of Jamie Carragher's Liverpool career.
QPR SUB: Redknapp is making a change at the break as Esteban Granero comes on for Mbia for the visitors.
For Harry Redknapp, he will be imploring his side to go out and play wil freedom. They have nothing to lose and can afford to enjoy themselves in this second half. They have been very disappointing so far today.
Back to Anfield, and it's so far so good for Liverpool. They lead QPR 1-0 and it should be more after a dominant first half. Jamie Carragher has had a quiet game defensively so far as QPR haven't threatened much in attack, but the retiring Liverpool stalwart has been more involved at the other end of the field, having a couple of chances to end his career in sensational fashion by scoring a rare goal.
UPDATE: Plenty of eyes will be on Tottenham and Arsenal's games, and they both remain goalless at the break. As things stand, then, Arsenal will beat Spurs to fourth place.
UPDATE: Meanwhile, there are plenty of goals from around the country to update you on! Manchester City are drawing with Norwich 1-1 after Jack Rodwell cancelled out Pilkington's opener while Alexander Kacaniklic has given Fulham a 1-0 lead against Swansea. Elsewhere, Man Utd lead West Brom 3-1 after goals from Buttner and Morrison added to the 2-0 lead I mentioned earlier, while Kevin Nolan and Ricardo Vaz Te have given West Ham a 2-0 lead against Reading. Finally, Wigan now lead Aston Villa 2-1 after goals from Boyce and a Lowton own goal.
So, Liverpool have been in fine form so far today, but will any of their players make your team of the season? You can vote for your best XI from 2012-13 with Sports Mole here.
However, as long as it remains just 1-0, QPR are still in this one. They haven't created much, but a Bobby Zamora chance served as a warning for the hosts and Brendan Rodgers will be keen for his side to put this game to bed in the second half.
It was Coutinho who gave Liverpool the lead with a fine strike from just outside the box, and the Brazilian has been the stand-out player for the hosts so far. He has run the game and looks dangerous every time he gets the ball. Glen Johnson has also had a very good first half, and Liverpool have been running riot.
The referee brings an end to a very comfortable half for Liverpool. They will almost attacking at will throughout the 45 minutes but only have a one-goal lead to show for it at the moment. In fairness, it should be at least two as Coutinho had an early effort disallowed after the referee ruled that it hadn't crossed the line, although replays showed that it had.
Coutinho nips in to steal the ball off Zamora before skipping past one man and letting fly. He slips while he shoots, however, which results in the effort being easy for Green.
Glen Johnson does brilliantly to keep the ball in when Traore was trying to shepherd it out. His efforts are wasted, however, as Sturridge picks up the ball and fires it well over from range. Ironically, Sturridge has been the one Liverpool player who is struggling for chances in this half.
CHANCE! Just about every Liverpool player is getting chances in this first half! Enrique embarks on a fine solo run, advancing into the box before cutting inside on his right foot and curling a shot high and wide. Everything was right until the finish there.
A QPR free kick is well claimed by Reina, who immediately launches Liverpool into a counter attack. He bowls it out to Downing, who carries the ball into the opposition half before floating a ball over the defence towards Sturridge. It's the right idea, but Downing puts too much on it and it goes out for a goal kick.
QPR have just started to stem the tide in the last few minutes. That Zamora chance will act as a warning to Liverpool that this game is not over as long as it stays 1-0.
CHANCE! Big chance for QPR to get an equaliser against the run of play! A low ball is put into the box and it eludes Skrtel, which seems to give Zamora a clear chance. However, the striker isn't expecting Skrtel to miss it and he misses the ball himself, allowing Liverpool to clear!
SHOT! It's Johnson's turn to have an effort on goal now. The full-back cuts inside on his left foot before curling a shot goalwards, but it goes over the bar. Despite Liverpool's domination, they haven't tested Rob Green enough yet.
CARRAGHER! Carragher probably hasn't had this many chances to score since his last goal seven years ago! Downing feeds the free kick to the Liverpool captain for the day, but his powerful shot is blocked by Derry. Carragher wants a penalty for handball, and it does hit his hand, but he is too close for that to be given.
Downing races down the right flank before playing a low cross into the box that is aimed at Ibe. It is cleared away but Johnson comes straight back at them and buys a free kick on the right side of the box.
Everytime Carragher gets on the ball, the whole of Anfield calls for him to shoot, no matter where he is on the pitch! He has resisted the temptation so far, but he may well fancy a speculative dig later in this match.
YELLOW CARD! Sturridge threatens to race clear and takes Clint Hill on in a straight foot race. The QPR defender knows that there will only be one winner, so steps across his path and brings him down. He gets a yellow card for his troubles.
Liverpool are experiencing so much joy down the wings at the moment. Coutinho is getting the ball in the middle of the park and finding his wingers all the time. To be fair to QPR, they have blocked most of the crosses when Liverpool get out wide, but they will want to cut that source of attack off at the source, which is Coutinho.
A short corner is worked back to Coutinho, who whips a cross in towards the back post where Carragher is waiting. It would be a great story if he was to get a goal, but his cheeky side comes out as he realises he isn't getting to this one and tries to punch it in! The referee wisely chooses to just talk to Carragher but, by the letter of the law, that could have been a red card! Carragher to score a 'Hand of God' goal in his final appearance - you'd get good odds on that!
Ibe is growing into this game as it goes on. He is not afraid to take his man on and has gone on the outside twice in quick succession only to see his crosses blocked.
Luis Suarez's name rings around the ground and the Uruguayan gives the fans a wave. He is still loved here and, if he does leave in the summer, he will be sorely missed.
I said it was only a matter of time, and there is the goal! Ibe cuts inside before laying the ball off to Coutinho about 25 yards from goal, and the Brazilian takes a touch before firing a low strike into the bottom corner from the edge of the box. Good strike and no less than he deserves for his performance so far.
Johnson is also looking in the mood today. He nutmegs Traore to find space to cross, and the delivery is superb. It flies right across the face of goal, but no red shirts can get on the end of it and the danger passes. It seems like only a matter of time before Liverpool score here.
Carragher hasn't had much to do on his final appearance so far. He picked the ball up about 40 yards from goal following a corner a few moments ago and the whole stadium urged him to shoot. That would be some way to sign off!
SHOT! Coutinho has been brilliant so far. He almost zips a magnificent pass to Sturridge but it takes a nick on the way through which takes it behind the England striker. Ibe keeps it in and gives it back to Coutinho, who engineers space to shoot only to see his effort deflected wide. The Brazilian is running this game at the moment.
Johnson comes forward with a marauding run that takes him past three players and into the QPR box, but again the final ball is cut out and put behind for a corner. It has been all Liverpool so far.
UPDATE: Everton have equalised against Chelsea through Steven Naismith. It is now 1-1 at Stamford Bridge for what is the last game in charge for both Rafa Benitez and David Moyes.
Ibe shows good pace down the left to reach a long ball before slipping it inside to Jose Enrique. The full-back is in a very advanced position, but is well marshalled and the defence clear it behind for a corner.
UPDATE: Manchester United are sending Sir Alex Ferguson off in style at the moment. They have doubled their lead though a Jonas Olsson own goal.
Ibe has made a solid start to this match so far, as has Harriman for QPR. They are coming up against each other a lot down Liverpool's left flank, and so far the QPR man has come out on top. It was also Harriman, not Zamora, who cleared the ball from Coutinho's earlier effort.
UPDATE: There have been a few early goals from around the country already. Juan Mata has given Chelsea the lead against Everton, Shinji Kagawa has opened the scoring for Manchester United against West Brom, and Villa have taken the lead against Wigan through Darren Bent.
YELLOW CARD! It's an early card for Jordan Henderson as he mis-times a sliding challenge on Park Ji-Sung. It was a bad challenge, but perhaps the ref could have just given him a talking to this early on. Martin Atkinson has been very busy so far.
Remy cuts into the box and skips past Lucas before throwing himself to the ground. Lucas did actually make some contact there and that could well have been given, but I think that Remy's theatrics did him no favours there.
To be fair to the officials, there were a lot of bodies that could have obstructed their view of that 'goal', but there is clear daylight between the ball and the line. It was half a yard or so over.
OFF THE LINE! My word, what a start this has been for Liverpool, and they should be 1-0 up! A corner is missed by Skrtel and falls to Coutinho at the back post. The Brazilian fires his shot goalwards and it is cleared away by Bobby Zamora, who appears to be over the line. The replays show that the ball did indeed cross the line, but the officials missed it. That should have been given as the opening goal!
KICKOFF! QPR get us underway but it is Liverpool who immediately go on the attack. Coutinho gets on the end of a flowing move, but his strike is blocked by Onuoha.
Liverpool revealed a mosaic for Carragher before kickoff. He will love nothing more than a clean sheet in his final appearance.
As we near kickoff here, let's have a final word on Jamie Carragher. This season has seen plenty of big-name retirements - namely Ferguson, Beckham, Scholes, Owen and Phil Neville - but for Liverpool fans the one that matters above all else is that of Carragher. Despite his age, he will be very hard to replace for them. After 737 appearances and plenty of silverware, he will call time on an illustrious career today, and the Liverpool fans are letting him know how important he is to them before kickoff.
You can also vote for your Team of the Season with Sports Mole. To do that, just click here and complete the survey.
Alternatively, I will be keeping you updated with the goals as and when they fly in from around the country. I will keep an even closer eye than usual on the Arsenal and Tottenham matches as those two are, of course, still battling for a top four spot.
This being the final game of the season, there is a full schedule of Premier League fixtures this afternoon, and you can follow each and every one of them live with Sports Mole.
PREDICTION: Right, we're 10 minutes from kickoff at Anfield, which means that it is time for the prediction! Neither side has anything to lose today so I'm hoping for an entertaining, open game rather than a cagey end-of-season match. Even so, I can't look past Liverpool today. I'm going to go for a 4-0 home win.
The bad news, however, is that QPR's away record is even worse. They have amassed just 11 points on their travels, a tally that is the third worst in the league. During that time they have also only managed two wins.
The good news for QPR fans is that Liverpool's home record this season is not too daunting. They have picked up 30 points from their 18 games at Anfield so far, a tally that gives them the eighth-best home record in the division.
Overall, these two teams have met 43 times over the years with Liverpool winning 30 compared to QPR's seven. The last time QPR won at Anfield was way back in 1991, over 22 years ago.
The last time these two met, Liverpool ran out 3-0 winners courtesy of a Luis Suarez brace and a Daniel Agger goal. Last time they met at Anfield it was a closer affair, but Liverpool still came out on top as Suarez scored the only goal of the match in a 1-0 win for the Reds.
In terms of recent history between these two sides, Liverpool unsurprisingly come out on top. QPR have won just one of their last six meetings - a run that stretched back to 1994.
Elsewhere, Andros Townsend's stock continues to rise despite QPR's poor season, and he is a player that Liverpool will have to keep a very close eye on this afternoon. The likes of Park and Mbia are also more than capable of causing problems for the hosts.
Their man threat will come from Loic Remy, who has been one of the few players who have performed up to the expected standard for the Hoops since joining. However, he could be forgiven for not being fully focused on today's match given his off-field problems this week.
Jordon Ibe isn't the only player making his debut this afternoon. QPR have also handed a first start to Harriman, and why not? The club are already down and it may be up to players like Harriman to pick up the pieces next season when many of the big-money earners leave.
Speaking of the history of the club, one man who will go down as part of the fabric of Liverpool for almost two decades is Jamie Carragher. He ends a magnificent career this afternoon and can rightly retire alongside some legendary names as one of Liverpool's greatest ever players.
Without the injured Steven Gerrard and the suspended Luis Suarez, Liverpool's main threat will come in the shape of Sturridge and Coutinho. The duo have developed an immediate understanding since arriving in January, and that partnership has resulted in plenty of goal already. No-one in the long, illustrious history of Liverpool FC has reached double figures for the club faster than Sturridge.
So, what can we make of those starting lineups? Well, the biggest surprise is the inclusion of Ibe for Liverpool. The youngster becomes the seventh Academy player to make his debut for the club this afternoon - a clear indication of Rodger's youth policy.
LIVERPOOL STARTING XI: Reina; Johnson, Enrique, Carragher, Skrtel; Lucas, Henderson, Downing, Ibe, Coutinho; Sturridge
TEAM NEWS: Right, the team news is in for both sides and the headlines will be dominated by Jamie Carragher making his final appearance for the club. As expected, he will start in the centre of defence, and you can expect a rousing reception for the Anfield legend before kickoff. Just as his storied career finishes, however, another begins as Jordon Ibe is handed a starting spot for the Reds. For QPR, Loic Remy starts despite his off-field problems in the last week. Full team news coming right up...
It will be interesting to see what happens at Loftus Road during the summer. Fernandes has made it clear that he will continue to back the club financially, but you'd still expect many of the players to make way. The likes of Julio Cesar, Loic Remy, Esteban Granero and many more won't be too happy about playing Championship football and QPR probably can't afford to keep them anyway. A major rebuilding project will be needed.
Things started looking a bit more promising when they won back-to-back games against Southampton and Sunderland respectively in March, but they failed to build on that and haven't won since. Perhaps even more worringly for Harry Redknapp, his side have only scored two goals in their last six games.
Looking at their recent form, it is easy to see why they are propping up the league. They have not won any of their last eight games, picking up a paltry two points in that time.
However, many of their big-money signings woefully underperformed and they find themselves rock bottom of the table going into the final day. They are currently three points behind Reading, so they would need a win and for Reading to lose to end the season in 19th.
As for the visitors today, QPR must be devastated at the way this season has gone. They had such high hopes at the start of the campaign having spent so much money, and owner Tony Fernandes has since admitted that he hadn't even considered the possibility of relegation.
If Rodgers can make similar transfers to the two he made in January - bringing in Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho - then next season's campaign should be more successful. The aforementioned duo have settled into life at Anfield very quickly and will be looking to continue their good start this afternoon.
Certainly, if Liverpool had produced such form throughout the season they would be a much stronger position. Even so, I think Rodgers had this season down as a transistional one all along, so while he won't be happy with finishing as low as seventh, he will also recognise that they have made progress.
Despite their recent good form, though, their finishing place this season has already been decided. No matter the result today, Brendan Rodgers will end his first season in charge in seventh place. Inconsistency has plagued the Reds this season, but the end-of-season form will provide them with plenty of optimism for next season.
We'll start by looking at our hosts today, and Liverpool come into this match in sparkling form. They have lost just one of their last 12 matches in all competitions and have already scored 40 goals in 2013 alone.
