West Bromwich Albion managed to claw back a point after falling behind early, finishing the Sky Bet Championship clash at The Hawthorns with a 1-1 stalemate against Queens Park Rangers. The match unfolded with QPR taking an unexpected lead in the 38th minute when a Chris Mepham own‑goal, completely contrary to the flow of play, found the back of the net. The advantage, however, was short‑lived; just three minutes later Callum Styles struck back, restoring parity and extending the Baggies' impressive run of unbeaten home fixtures to eleven games, while QPR remained unbeaten on the road this season. Both sides generated a reasonable number of chances, with West Brom arguably creating slightly more opportunities, yet the London side also carved out several clear-cut moments.
The line‑up featured a few notable returns: former Manchester United midfielder Toby Collyer and Conor Townsend earned their first starts since re‑joining Albion, and defender Chris Mepham was handed the captain's armband for the encounter. The game began with Albion asserting early pressure. A wayward attempt by Rabby Nzingoula glanced off Felix Horn Myhre, diverting the ball towards goal before veering wide. Shortly after, Isaac Price delivered an inswinging corner that was punched away on the line by QPR keeper Pierce Charles as the hosts continued to press for a breakthrough.
In the 34th minute, Aune Heggebo connected with a cross from Collyer, unleashing a thunderous rising shot that appeared to strike the crossbar, only to rebound off the stanchion behind the net, denying a spectacular equaliser. Defying the rhythm of the match, QPR seized the lead when Kwame Poku released Rumarn Burrell on a swift counter‑attack. Burrell out‑muscled his marker, forcing Max O'Leary into a diving save; the rebound then struck Mepham on the head and rolled into the unguarded net, gifting the visitors a 1-0 advantage. The Baggies responded swiftly.
In the 41st minute, Styles, deployed out of his usual position at right‑back, curled a low‑driven effort from just outside the penalty area into the bottom corner, marking his second goal of the season and leveling the score. After the restart, Price came close to giving Albion the lead for the first time when his curling free‑kick was tipped away by Charles. Jayson Molumby later nodded a corner from Styles wide of the far post, while both teams remained wary of each other's counter‑attacking threat. Poku forced O'Leary into a crucial flying save after creating space inside the box and shooting from twelve yards.
On the opposite flank, Mepham's powerful header from a corner forced Charles into a falling save, and the keeper later had to stay alert to parry a low free‑kick from Styles after the full‑back was fouled on the edge of the area. QPR continued to press, with Burrell's header from a Harvey Vale corner being smothered by O'Leary at the foot of the post.
In the dying minutes, substitute Jimmy‑Jay Morgan had a golden opportunity to clinch the win for Albion, blasting a header over the far post after Molumby’s cross found him, but the effort sailed wide of the target. Post‑match, West Brom manager James Morrison praised Styles, saying, "I challenged Callum. He can't just rest on being player of the season. He's got to go and show it again.
He's been rewarded with a new contract and I didn't want him to pick the big contract up and not be at that level of performance. I believe in Callum so much that I think I could play him anywhere and he would be just as good. I said to him 'come inside onto your left foot and shoot' and it was a great finish. He's used to playing in midfield so he could come inside or he could stay wide.
When he was younger he played as a winger and he's played at wing‑back, so it was just about trying to get that balance right with Rabby Nzingoula. I thought they dealt with it really well." QPR head coach Julien Stephan reflected on his side's performance: "When you face a team with very good confidence and strong results it's really important to be strong in your foundation and our defensive organisation was brilliant. Usually we are better with the ball and are able to create more danger. Today it was more difficult for us to create with the ball, even if we had the best chance of the second half with Kwame Poku.
But it was a lovely move for our goal. I enjoyed it because it was part of our game plan after the ball was regained to be able to use the space behind their centre‑backs." Overall, the match showcased a tightly contested battle, with both teams demonstrating resilience and tactical flexibility. West Brom's ability to bounce back from an own‑goal setback highlighted their depth and the impact of versatile players like Styles, while QPR's disciplined defensive shape kept them in the game despite the early concession.
The draw maintains West Brom's unbeaten home streak and leaves QPR still unbeaten on the road, setting the stage for an intriguing second half of the Championship season.