Callum Styles rescued a point for West Bromwich Albion after the team rallied from an early deficit to finish the match level at 1-1 against Queens Park Rangers in the Sky Bet Championship fixture held at The Hawthorns. The opening goal came in the 38th minute when a Chris Mepham own‑goal, completely contrary to the flow of the game, gave the visitors the lead.
That advantage was short‑lived; just three minutes later Styles found the net, restoring parity and extending the Baggies' unbeaten run at home to eleven matches, while QPR remain unbeaten on the road this season. Both sides created a reasonable number of chances, though West Brom appeared to have a marginal edge in the number of opportunities generated. The lineup featured former Manchester United midfielder Toby Collyer and defender Conor Townsend, both of whom made their first starts since re‑joining the club, while Mepham wore the captain's armband.
The matchday squad reflected three of the five changes made after the previous day's 1‑0 victory over Derby County, mirroring the number of alterations made by the visitors. From the outset, Albion imposed a higher tempo.
Early on, Rabby Nzingoula unleashed a wayward effort that glanced off Felix Horn Myhre, diverting the ball toward goal before it drifted wide of the post. In the 34th minute, Isaac Price delivered an inswinging corner that was punched clear by QPR goalkeeper Pierce Charles, who was positioned on the line. The clearance seemed to signal a turning point for the home side, but the breakthrough came in an unexpected manner. Aune Heggebo rose to meet a cross from Collyer, striking a powerful, rising shot that appeared to strike the crossbar, only to ricochet off the stanchion behind the goal.
In the chaos that followed, Kwame Poku sent Rumarn Burrell on a blistering run. Burrell out‑muscled his marker, forcing QPR keeper Max O'Leary into a diving save. The rebound fell to Mepham, who inadvertently headed the ball into his own net, handing QPR a 1‑0 lead despite the overall rhythm of the match favoring West Brom. The Baggies responded swiftly.
In the 41st minute, Styles—deployed in an unfamiliar right‑back position—curled a low‑driven shot from just outside the penalty area into the bottom corner, leveling the score and marking his second goal of the season. The equaliser came just before the half‑time whistle, restoring balance to a tightly contested encounter. The second half began with renewed vigor from both teams.
Price came close to giving Albion the lead when his curling free‑kick was tipped away by Charles. Shortly thereafter, Jayson Molumby headed a corner taken by Styles, narrowly missing the far post.
Throughout the period, West Brom remained wary of QPR's counter‑attacking threat. Poku forced O'Leary into a spectacular flying save after creating space inside the box and unleashing a 12‑yard strike. Conversely, Mepham's well‑timed header from a Price corner forced Charles into a reflexive save. Later, Charles had to stay alert when Styles earned a low free‑kick after being fouled on the edge of the box; the resulting delivery tested the goalkeeper once more.
On the opposite flank, Burrell's header from a Harvey Vale corner was smothered by O'Leary at the near post. In the dying moments, substitute Jimmy‑Jay Morgan had a golden opportunity to clinch the win for Albion, heading down a cross from Molumby but blasting over the far post.
Post‑match comments highlighted individual performances. 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 coach Julien Stephan reflected on his side's approach, stating, "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." In summary, the match ended in a hard‑fought 1‑1 draw, allowing West Brom to maintain their impressive home unbeaten streak while QPR continued their unbeaten run away from home. Both managers highlighted the importance of tactical discipline and individual adaptability, underscoring the fine margins that often decide Championship encounters.