Torres hat-trick helps Chelsea rout QPR

Fernando Torres, suddenly oozing confidence in front of goal, netted his first Chelsea hat-trick as the Champions League finalists capped a sensational week by routing Queens Park Rangers 6-1 in the Premier League on Sunday.

Torres, a forlorn figure at Stamford Bridge for much of the 15 months since his 50 million pound move from Liverpool, produced three incisive finishes to add to his late goal at Barcelona on Tuesday that eased Chelsea into a Champions League final with Bayern Munich.

The Spaniard struck twice in the first half after the home side had led through Daniel Sturridge's strike after just 46 seconds and John Terry's header.

Torres completed his hat-trick on 64 minutes by side-footing past Paddy Kenny from Juan Mata's pass, a goal that had beaming owner Roman Abramovich high-fiving the fans around him.

Substitute Florent Malouda added a sixth with 10 minutes left before Djibril Cisse netted for the relegation-threatened visitors.

"It's been a very hard week for us, but very important with the win (on aggregate) against Barcelona and this important result," Torres, who had just three Premier League goals and eight in all competitions this season before lining up against QPR, told Sky Sports.

"We must keep on getting points. I'm very happy with the hat-trick, hopefully the first of many."

Victory lifted Chelsea above Tottenham Hotspur into fifth place on 61 points, one point behind Newcastle United. Spurs, on 59 points, will leapfrog their London rivals and Newcastle if they win at home to struggling Blackburn Rovers later on Sunday (1500 GMT).

ATTACKING FLAIR

Leaders Manchester United and second-placed Manchester City, who face each other on Monday, are guaranteed Champions League places next season while third-placed Arsenal are in pole position to secure the third automatic slot.

But it is no longer guaranteed the fourth-placed team will qualify for the Champions League playoffs. If Chelsea beat Bayern in the final next month and finish outside the top four, they will take the last qualifying spot.

While Chelsea's 2-2 draw at Barcelona -- which secured a 3-2 semi-final win on aggregate - was based on defensive resilience and counter-attacking nous, they showed their attacking flair right from the whistle in Sunday's demolition of more humble Premier League opponents.

Sturridge began the goal glut when he beat Kenny with a vicious shot from outside the box before the hosts doubled their lead on 13 minutes when Terry, sent off at Barcelona and thus banned against Bayern, headed in Mata's corner.

Torres got his first six minutes later when he ran on to Salomon Kalou's angled pass to round Kenny and net. Then after 25 minutes he gleefully pounced after a mix up between Kenny and defender Nedum Onouha.

There were no pre-match handshakes between the West London rivals on Premier League orders because of tensions between Terry and Anton Ferdinand.

Terry, who denies wrongdoing, has been charged with racially abusing QPR defender Ferdinand in a league game in October. There was no handshake before the FA Cup fourth-round match in January between the two clubs.

Terry is due in court in July after the Euro 2012 tournament.

QPR remain one place above the drop zone on 34 points. Bolton Wanderers, also on 34 but with an inferior goal difference), Blackburn (31) and relegated Wolves are below them.