Mackie seals QPR comeback to stun Liverpool

The Reds laid siege to the home goal in the first half but could not find a way through until nine minutes after the break when Sebastian Coates scored with a brilliant scissors-kick.

Dirk Kuyt made it 2-0 soon after with a close-range tap-in and the home fans made clear their disappointment when they booed off captain Joey Barton.

QPR were in danger of going 3-0 down after some more poor defending but Shaun Derry gave the hosts a glimmer of hope with a 77th-minute header.

Djibril Cisse then stepped up to head home his third goal in four games with just four minutes left to equalise, and the home crowd erupted into ecstasy in the 91st minute when substitute Mackie slotted home through Jose Reina’s legs to give QPR an unlikely win.

Arsenal moved up to third place after Thomas Vermaelen’s early header at Everton earned Arsene Wenger’s men a sixth successive top-flight victory.

The Gunners made a strong start and went in front in the eighth minute when Vermaelen converted Robin van Persie’s corner.

The Toffees got a grip on proceedings and had what appeared to be a legitimate goal chalked off in the 31st minute when the flag was raised against Royston Drenthe.

But the visitors held on to move above Tottenham, who drew 1-1 with Stoke.

Rafael van der Vaart scored a 93rd-minute equaliser to prevent Tottenham from falling to a fourth successive league defeat.

However, the draw failed to get their challenge for a Champions League spot back on track as they crashed out of the Premier League top three for the first time in more than three months

Cameron Jerome looked to have snatched a shock victory for Stoke as football returned to White Hart Lane just four days after Fabrice Muamba’s horrifying collapse at the ground.

But van der Vaart snatched a point for a Spurs side who will need to improve massively to secure a top-four spot that for so long looked theirs for the taking.

Arsenal are a point clear of their North London rivals Spurs with nine games left to play and look good to secure a Champions League berth, with fifth-placed Chelsea – defeated 2-1 at Manchester City – now five points behind Spurs.