West Bromwich Albion promoted to Premier League after 2-2 draw with QPR
by Ged Scott · BBC SportWest Bromwich Albion won promotion back to the Premier League despite failing to beat QPR in their final Championship game of the season.
A point at The Hawthorns was enough for Slaven Bilic's Baggies to go up in second place behind Leeds United, thanks to Brentford's home defeat by Barnsley.
Albion's draw would have been enough anyway, but Barnsley's winner gave the Baggies a two-point cushion.
Ryan Manning put QPR ahead before Albion turned it round with goals either side of the break from Grady Diangana and Callum Robinson.
Eberechi Eze's stunning equaliser earned Rangers a point but was not enough to deny Albion a record fifth promotion to the Premier League.
Albion promoted on nervy night near the top
The Baggies feared their automatic promotion hopes may have disappeared after losing their penultimate game at Huddersfield on Friday, but Brentford's slip-up at Stoke the following day meant Bilic's side had their fate in their own hands.
They had gone close through Romaine Sawyers and a Matheus Pereira shot over the bar before QPR went ahead.
Manning's shot was blocked by a combination of Kyle Bartley and Jake Livermore, but his second attempt from just outside the box flew to Sam Johnstone's left into the bottom corner.
The hosts were level when Robinson slipped a short pass into the inside-left channel and Diangana expertly scored his eighth goal of the season, firing through Lumley's legs.
Robinson had a chance to put his team ahead, only to put his attempt wide, but he made up for it almost straight after the restart by putting Albion in front.
Diangana showed mesmeric skill down the left to get away from Luke Amos and Osman Kakay before crossing for an unattended Robinson to slide the ball past the exposed Lumley.
Robinson missed when through one-on-one but shot wide, and Rangers made Albion pay.
Yoann Barbet's raking pass over the top put Eze in behind Dara O'Shea down the right, his first touch took him clear of the Albion full-back and he ran on to send a powerful right-footed shot into the top corner.
Albion came close to a winner when Filip Krovinovic's low right-foot shot was turned onto the post by Lumley and Semi Ajayi headed wide, but Barnsley's late winner at Griffin Park spared the Baggies an even more anxious finish.
Celebrations start at The Hawthorns
The only disappointment for Albion was that their latest promotion came behind closed doors, with no supporters allowed inside The Hawthorns because of the coronavirus pandemic.
But, while Albion's players celebrated on the pitch and showered Bilic with champagne, a group of Baggies' fans were determined not to be left out.
Despite warnings from both the club and Sandwell Council to stay away and follow social distancing guidelines, a large gathering of supporters were soon showing their glee as car horns blew and blue smoke gusted outside the Jeff Astle gates.
Albion have truly put their fans through an emotional wringer since the Championship season resumed in mid-June.
At the end of February, just two games before the season was suspended, Albion were briefly seven points clear of eventual champions Leeds at the top and 13 ahead of Brentford.
The Bees' eight-match winning run, including a victory over Albion, put the pressure on and they won just three of their last 11 games, nine of which came after the restart.
But Brentford's back-to-back defeats in their final two games helped take top-flight football back to The Hawthorns, 14 months after being knocked out of last season's play-offs by neighbours Aston Villa.
Reaction
West Brom boss Slaven Bilic: "(Promotion) is at the top (of his achievements). You don't know how exhausting it was this season. You can't imagine how proud and happy I am.
"I managed my country for six years and I said no matter which club I manage nothing will compare when you are manager of your national team. I can't say it's the same but I feel as proud as I felt then.
"We've got work to do but I haven't thought about it because of this crazy situation. We did a bit of work during the lockdown. Now, not today, not tomorrow or the day after and we'll see next week."
QPR boss Mark Warburton: "Watching West Brom celebrate on the pitch, it's going to burn into your soul. I want that.
"The players have been asked and challenged every game, it's a very high level.
"It was important we came here and showed the appropriate level of commitment. The players deserve a lot of credit.
"We're happy, teams have come here and if you're not careful you can get badly hurt. The players have worked hard on the training ground and got the result they deserve to."
Line-ups
West Brom
- 1Johnstone
- 2FurlongSubstituted forTownsendat 81'minutes
- 6Ajayi
- 5Bartley
- 27O'Shea
- 8LivermoreSubstituted forPhillipsat 90'minutes
- 19SawyersSubstituted forBruntat 71'minutes
- 12Costa PereiraSubstituted forGrosickiat 80'minutes
- 7Krovinovic
- 29DianganaSubstituted forAustinat 71'minutes
- 47Robinson
Substitutes
- 4Robson-Kanu
- 10Phillips
- 11Brunt
- 13Grosicki
- 14Townsend
- 15Austin
- 16Harper
- 23Bond
- 26Hegazi
QPR
- 1Lumley
- 24KakaySubstituted forShodipoat 81'minutes
- 23Masterson
- 29Barbet
- 14ManningSubstituted forGubbinsat 90+4'minutes
- 12Ball
- 5CameronSubstituted forRamkildeat 57'minutes
- 8Amos
- 19Chair
- 10Eze
- 20Osayi-SamuelSubstituted forKaneat 79'minutes
Substitutes
- 2Kane
- 17Shodipo
- 18Oteh
- 26Bettache
- 27Ramkilde
- 32Kelly
- 40Gubbins
- 47Clarke
Referee:
Darren England
Match Stats
Home TeamWest BromAway TeamQPR
Possession
Home51%
Away49%
Shots
Home16
Away7
Shots on Target
Home6
Away3
Corners
Home5
Away3
Fouls
Home13
Away9
Live Text
Post update
Match ends, West Bromwich Albion 2, Queens Park Rangers 2.
90'+6'
Full Time
Second Half ends, West Bromwich Albion 2, Queens Park Rangers 2.
90'+4'
Substitution
Substitution, Queens Park Rangers. Joseph Gubbins replaces Ryan Manning.
90'+1'
Post update
Corner, West Bromwich Albion. Conceded by Yoann Barbet.
90'+1'
Post update
Corner, West Bromwich Albion. Conceded by Yoann Barbet.
90'
Post update
Yoann Barbet (Queens Park Rangers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
90'
Post update
Foul by Kyle Bartley (West Bromwich Albion).
90'
Substitution
Substitution, West Bromwich Albion. Matt Phillips replaces Jake Livermore.
89'
Post update
Eberechi Eze (Queens Park Rangers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
89'
Post update
Foul by Conor Townsend (West Bromwich Albion).
88'
Post update
Foul by Todd Kane (Queens Park Rangers).
88'
Post update
Filip Krovinovic (West Bromwich Albion) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
83'
Post update
Attempt missed. Semi Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Chris Brunt with a cross following a set piece situation.
83'
Post update
Foul by Ryan Manning (Queens Park Rangers).
83'
Post update
Kamil Grosicki (West Bromwich Albion) wins a free kick on the right wing.
81'
Substitution
Substitution, Queens Park Rangers. Olamide Shodipo replaces Osman Kakay.
81'
Substitution
Substitution, West Bromwich Albion. Conor Townsend replaces Darnell Furlong.
80'
Substitution
Substitution, West Bromwich Albion. Kamil Grosicki replaces Matheus Pereira.
79'
Substitution
Substitution, Queens Park Rangers. Todd Kane replaces Bright Samuel.
75'
Post update
Osman Kakay (Queens Park Rangers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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