West Bromwich Albion managed to claw back a point after falling behind early, finishing the match at The Hawthorns with a 1-1 stalemate against Queens Park Rangers in the Sky Bet Championship. The visitors opened the scoring in the 38th minute when a Chris Mepham own‑goal slipped past the line, a moment that came completely contrary to the flow of the game. However, the lead was short‑lived; just three minutes later Callum Styles struck back, restoring parity and extending the Baggies' unbeaten run at home to eleven games, while QPR remained unbeaten on the road this season. Both sides generated a healthy number of chances throughout the 90 minutes, with the home team enjoying slightly more possession and creating a few more clear‑cut opportunities, yet the London side also carved out several promising openings of their own.
Notably, former Manchester United midfielder Toby Collyer and defender Conor Townsend earned their first starts since re‑joining Albion, while Chris Mepham captained the QPR side for this encounter. The line‑up featured three of five changes from the previous day's 1-0 victory over Derby County, mirroring the number of alterations made by the visitors.
West Brom set the tempo early on; a wayward attempt from Rabby Nzingoula glanced off Felix Horn Myhre and drifted wide of the far post. Shortly after, Isaac Price delivered an inswinging corner that was punched clear by QPR goalkeeper Pierce Charles, who was positioned on the goal line as the hosts continued to press for a breakthrough.
In the 34th minute, Aune Heggebo met a cross from Collyer with a powerful rising effort that seemed to strike the crossbar, only for the ball to ricochet off the stanchion behind the goal. The moment proved pivotal, as QPR capitalised on the sudden shift in momentum. Kwame Poku sent a through ball that released Rumarn Burrell, who raced past his marker and forced QPR keeper Max O'Leary into a diving save.
The rebound fell to Mepham, whose head redirected the ball into an empty net, gifting the visitors a lead that felt out of sync with the overall rhythm of the match. West Brom responded swiftly. In the 41st minute, Styles—deployed in an unfamiliar right‑back position—curled a low, precise shot from just outside the penalty area into the bottom corner, securing his second goal of the season and leveling the score.
The equaliser reignited the home side's confidence, and they continued to threaten. Shortly after the restart, Price unleashed a curling free‑kick that was tipped away by Charles, while Jayson Molumby nodded a corner from Styles just wide of the far post.
Both managers warned of the danger posed by the opposition on the counter‑attack. Poku forced O'Leary into a crucial flying save after breaking free inside the box and unleashing a 12‑yard strike. Meanwhile, Mepham's headed clearance from a corner forced Charles into a reflexive save, and the goalkeeper later had to react quickly to a low free‑kick from Styles after the full‑back was fouled on the edge of the area. QPR's attacking threat persisted.
Burrell rose to meet a corner from Harvey Vale, only for O'Leary to smother the header at the foot of the post. Late in the game, substitute Jimmy‑Jay Morgan had a golden opportunity to snatch a winner for Albion; he rose above the defense to meet a Molumby cross but blasted his header over the far post, leaving the scoreline unchanged. After the final whistle, West Brom manager James Morrison praised his midfielder‑turned‑full‑back, 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 coach Julien Stephan reflected on the match, noting, "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." The draw means both clubs continue their campaigns with a point each, maintaining their respective unbeaten records on home and away fixtures. The match also highlighted the versatility of Callum Styles, the resilience of West Brom's defense, and the tactical discipline displayed by QPR under pressure. As the season progresses, both sides will look to build on the lessons learned from this tightly contested encounter.