Leeds United's spectacular collapse from the brink of the Champions League final to virtually bankrupt also-rans has reached its inevitable conclusion -- relegation from the English Premiership.

Exactly three years to the day after they played Valencia in the last four of Europe's elite competition, Leeds were condemned to first divison football next season by a 4-1 thrashing at Bolton on Sunday after having Mark Viduka sent off in the first half.

It was an undignified end to a 14-year spell in the top flight for a club that won the English title only 12 years ago and is underpinned by one of the biggest and most loyal followings in the country.

The supporters could not however save Leeds from the consequences of the financial profligacy that was linked to the club's success under former manager David O'Leary.

As well as putting together an outstanding squad of players, O'Leary and then-chairman Peter Ridsdale also oversaw a surge in spending that left the club with debts currently estimated at around 80 million pounds (140 million dollars).

Administration was only staved off at the last minute by a rescue bid mounted by a consortium of local businessmen at the start of this year.

But after selling off players of the calibre of Rio Ferdinand, Jonathan Woodgate and Harry Kewell, Leeds did not have the playing resources left to fend off relegation.

"If you are second bottom after 36 games, you don't deserve anything else," caretaker manager Eddie Gray admitted after Sunday's defeat.

"At the end of the day we just lacked a bit of quality."

Gray added: "Three years is a long time in football, especially when you lose a lot of players and you have not got any money in the bank.

"If you took six players out of Arsenal or Man Utd teams... it makes a big difference to a foot-

ball club and we just could not cope with it. It's quite simple really."

While Leeds were contemplating an uncertain future, Liverpool and Aston Villa were treating their fans to the prospect of brighter days.

A convincing 2-0 win over Middlesbrough at Anfield kept Liverpool in pole position in the race for fourth place, the final qualifying place for the Champions League.

But Villa, now managed by former Leeds boss O'Leary, are only a point behind them after Juan Pablo Angel's 22nd goal of the season earned them a 1-0 win over Tottenham and stretched their unbeaten run to seven games.

Newcastle, who travel to Anfield on the final day of the season, are also still firmly in the hunt, three points behind Liverpool but with a game in hand.

A Danny Murphy penalty was quickly followed by an Emile Heskey strike as Liverpool killed off their match in the first ten minutes of the second half and spared their long-suffering supporters an anxious finale.

It was a thoroughly deserved victory for Gerard Houllier's side, who had been unfortunate not to go ahead in the first half, Harry Kewell's diving header having been chalked off by a marginal offside decision.

Leeds's fate was sealed by three goals in the ten minutes after the interval - a Youri Djorkaeff double and an agonising own goal by Ian Harte -after Viduka had given them a first-half lead from the penalty spot.

Kevin Nolan extended Bolton's winning margin near the end but the real damage was done by the petulance of their Australian striker, who was sent off for the second time in a month after receiving two yellow cards in the space of as many minutes.