West Bromwich Albion managed to claw back a point after falling behind early, finishing the Sky Bet Championship encounter at The Hawthorns with a 1-1 stalemate against Queens Park Rangers. The match unfolded with QPR taking an unexpected lead just before the half‑hour mark, only for Callum Styles to restore parity for the home side moments later, preserving the Baggies' impressive unbeaten run at their own ground. The opening half was dominated by a surprising twist in the 38th minute when a Chris Mepham own‑goal gifted QPR the advantage. The mishap occurred against the flow of the game: a cross from Kwame Poku found Rumarn Burrell, who raced into the box and forced Max O'Leary into a diving save.
The rebound ricocheted off Mepham’s head and slipped into the empty net, leaving the home crowd stunned. It was a rare lapse for the defender, who had been captaining the side that day.
However, the lead was short‑lived. Just three minutes after the own‑goal, Callum Styles, playing out of his usual position at right‑back, stepped up to level the scores. From just outside the penalty area, Styles curled a low, precise shot that nestled into the bottom corner, marking his second goal of the season and extending West Brom's unbeaten home record to eleven matches. The equaliser also underscored the resilience of a side that had yet to taste defeat on the road this campaign.
Both teams created a handful of chances throughout the 90 minutes. West Brom enjoyed slightly more possession and a greater number of opportunities, yet QPR were not short of moments to test the hosts' defence. Notably, former Manchester United midfielder Toby Collyer and Conor Townsend earned their first starts since rejoining Albion, while Mepham captained the side.
The starting eleven featured five changes from the previous day's 1-0 victory over Derby County, mirroring the number of alterations made by the visitors. Early in the game, Albion pressed forward, with Rabby Nzingoula’s wayward attempt striking Felix Horn Myhre, who deflected the ball toward goal before it drifted wide. Later, Isaac Price delivered an inswinging corner that was punched clear by goalkeeper Pierce Charles on the line as the hosts continued to hunt for a breakthrough.
The pressure paid off when, in the 34th minute, Aune Heggebo met a cross from Collyer with a thunderous rising strike that appeared to hit the crossbar, only to glance off the stanchion behind the goal. The own‑goal came as a shock, but the Baggies responded swiftly. Styles’ goal, coming in the 41st minute, saw him cut inside from the right flank, find space just outside the box and unleash a low, curling effort that beat Charles at his near post. The goal not only rescued a point but also highlighted Styles’ versatility – he has previously operated as a midfielder, winger, and wing‑back, and his adaptability was praised by manager James Morrison.
After the restart, the match remained tightly contested. Price threatened to give Albion the lead with a curling free‑kick that was tipped away by Charles. Jayson Molumby then headed a Styles corner narrowly wide at the far post.
Both sides were wary of each other's counter‑attack potential. Kwame Poku forced O'Leary into a crucial flying save after breaking free inside the box and shooting from twelve yards, while Mepham’s headed clearance forced Charles into a diving save from a Price corner. In the second half, QPR continued to press. Burrell’s header from a Harvey Vale corner was smothered by O'Leary at the foot of the post, and later, substitute Jimmy‑Jay Morgan had a golden opportunity to win the game for West Brom.
Morgan surged forward, met a Molumby cross with a powerful header, and blasted it over the far post, missing a chance to secure all three points. Post‑match comments reflected the narratives of both clubs. James Morrison lauded 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 manager Julien Stephan highlighted the difficulty of breaking down a confident, well‑organised side: "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 fixture showcased West Brom's ability to respond under pressure, maintaining their solid home form, while QPR demonstrated resilience despite the setback. Both teams will look to build on the lessons learned as the Championship season progresses.