West Bromwich Albion became the first team relegated from the Premier League this season after losing 2-0 to Liverpool at The Hawthorns.
The Baggies knew they had to beat Rafa Benitez's side to maintain any realistic chance of staying up, but were undone by goals from Steven Gerrard and Dirk Kuyt.
Tony Mowbray's side appeared relegation certainties for much of the season, but two wins in three games stirred hope that they could repeat their 'great escape' of 2004/05, when they became the only side in the Premier League era to avoid relegation having been bottom at Christmas.
But familiar failings cost them dear, as a catastrophic lapse of concentration from Shelton Martis led to the opening goal, while Juan Carlos Menseguez and Marc-Antoine Fortune contrived to squander a gilt-edged chance shortly before Kuyt added the second.
The home side's preparations were not helped by lurid claims in a Sunday newspaper about striker Roman Bednar, causing the striker's immediate suspension while the club conduct an investigation.
The win virtually guarantees Liverpool will finish second, but it was overshadowed by a bizarre confrontation between defenders Jamie Carragher and Alvaro Arbeloa.
Twenty-four hours earlier, the visitors saw their Premier League title bid ended by Manchester United, and started in suitably lacklustre fashion.
Roared on by a boisterous crowd, the Baggies raced out of the blocks and would have led in the fifth minute had it not been for a brilliant double save by Jose Reina.
A Chris Brunt corner from the right found Jonathan Greening at the far post, whose shot brought a superb reflex stop from Reina, and the Spaniard sprung to his feet to block Greening's follow-up.
West Brom captain Greening was at the heart of the action moments later when he nutmegged Emiliano Insua - a late replacement for Fabio Aurelio - and delivered a dangerous cross from the right that the visitors scrambled away.
At the other end, there was little to do for Dean Kiely, preferred in goal to Scott Carson after a magnificent display against Wigan last weekend.
Everything changed on 28 minutes, when Martis dawdled inexplicably on the ball and was robbed by Gerrard.
The Liverpool skipper raced through on goal and lifted the ball deftly over Kiely into the left corner of the net.
It was the 24th goal of an outstanding season for the man voted Football Writers' Player of the Year.
Gerrard then went close with a curling 25-yarder, then supplied a cross for Fernando Torres whose glancing header forced Kiely to tip over.
The second half followed much the same pattern as West Brom played some vibrant stuff but failed to take their chances.
On 59 minutes, Menseguez was fortunately adjudged onside when played through by Robert Koren. He could have shot but chose to square it for Fortune, whose failure to attack the ball gave Lucas Leiva the chance to make a goal-saving tackle.
It was a glorious chance, and within five minutes Kuyt had doubled Liverpool's lead, collecting a Gerrard pass, weaving into space and battering a low shot into the right corner of the West Brom net.
Fortune proceeded to miss two more sitters - one a particularly simple free header - and when he finally put the ball in the net he was denied by an offside flag.
Liverpool might have been forgiven for taking their foot off the gas, but their will to win spilled over in embarrassing fashion late on when Carragher and Arbeloa squared up to each other and exchanged shoves before team-mates pulled them apart.
The Hawthorns gave West Brom a rousing send-off as time wound down. If the fervency and loyalty of their support is anything to go by, their exile from the top flight should be a short one.
