West Bromwich Albion secured their first point since Carlos Corberan’s departure on Christmas Eve, thanks to Karlan Grant’s equalizer in first-half stoppage time during a 1-1 draw against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.
Sheffield United initially took the lead through academy graduate Andre Brooks, who scored his first goal for the club with a well-executed move. Brooks intercepted a misplaced touch by Ousmane Diakite, carried the ball across the edge of the box, and completed a superb one-two with Callum O’Hare before slotting home a low left-footed finish in the 22nd minute.
The result briefly returned the Blades to the top of the Championship, pending Leeds United’s later match against Derby County. However, Albion managed to equalize just before halftime when Mikey Johnston’s long-range shot deflected off Tom Fellows into the path of Grant, who finished clinically for his sixth league goal of the season.
This was Albion’s second game under the interim leadership of Damia Abella, Boaz Myhill, and Chris Brunt, the latter returning to the city where he began his career with Sheffield Wednesday. Despite injuries to Mason Holgate and Alex Mowatt in the Boxing Day defeat to Derby, the caretaker trio made four changes, including a second league start for Diakite.
Albion began the second half brightly, with Grant denied a second goal by Blades goalkeeper Michael Cooper. However, Sheffield United nearly regained the lead when O’Hare was brought down in the box by Diakite, but referee Stuart Attwell waved play on.
In a contentious moment later in the game, Gus Hamer, already on a booking, was involved in a challenge with Callum Styles. Despite calls for further punishment, Attwell issued only a free kick. Styles, having been booked earlier, will now serve a one-match suspension.
The draw mirrored the 2-2 result between the two sides at The Hawthorns three weeks earlier, where another deflected goal involving Fellows had impacted the outcome.