West Bromwich Albion managed to claw back a point after falling behind early, finishing the match level at 1-1 with Queens Park Rangers in a Sky Bet Championship fixture at The Hawthorns. The visitors opened the scoring in the 38th minute when a Chris Mepham own goal slipped past the keeper, an incident that occurred completely out of sync with the flow of the game.
The advantage was short‑lived; just three minutes later Callum Styles struck back, restoring parity and extending the Baggies' unbeaten run at home to eleven matches, while QPR have yet to taste defeat away from Loftus Road this season. Both sides generated a similar number of opportunities, with the home side edging the tally slightly. The line‑up featured a few notable returns: former Manchester United midfielder Toby Collyer and Conor Townsend earned their first starts since re‑joining the club, and defender Chris Mepham was handed the captain's armband for the encounter.
The squad underwent three changes from the previous Wednesday's 1-0 victory over Derby County, mirroring the number of alterations made by the visitors. The early stages saw Albion take the initiative. Rabby Nzingoula unleashed a wayward effort that glanced off Felix Horn Myhre, diverting the ball toward goal before it drifted wide of the post. A subsequent inswinging corner from Isaac Price was met by goalkeeper Pierce Charles, who managed to punch the ball clear off the line as the hosts pressed for a breakthrough.
In the 34th minute, Aune Heggebo connected with a cross from Collyer, delivering a thunderous rising shot that appeared to strike the crossbar but actually hit the stanchion behind the goal, denying the Baggies a lead. The momentum then shifted dramatically. Kwame Poku released Rumarn Burrell, who sprinted into space and forced Max O'Leary into a diving save. The rebound fell to Mepham, whose head redirected the ball into the net, giving QPR a lead that seemed to come completely against the grain of the match.
However, just six minutes later, Styles—deployed unusually at right‑back—curled a low‑driven strike from just outside the box into the far corner, securing his second goal of the season and equalising for West Brom. After the restart, Price threatened to put Albion ahead with a curling free‑kick that Charles tipped away. Jayson Molumby then headed a Styles corner narrowly wide at the far post.
Both teams remained cautious, aware of the danger each posed on the counter‑attack. Poku forced O'Leary into a crucial flying save after finding space inside the box and shooting from twelve yards. On the opposite end, Mepham's headed clearance forced Charles into a diving save from another Price corner, while 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.
Rangers 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 moments, substitute Jimmy‑Jay Morgan rose to meet a Molumby cross but sent his header over the far post, missing a chance to clinch a win for the home side. 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 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 demonstrated West Brom's resilience and ability to respond quickly after conceding, while QPR showed that their defensive shape can withstand pressure, even if they ultimately fell short of securing all three points. The draw leaves both teams with valuable points as the Championship race intensifies, and the home crowd can take pride in seeing their side maintain an unbeaten streak at The Hawthorns.