There was more Amex frustration for Albion after they were held to a draw for the third successive Premier League home game - this time by bottom of the table Sheffield United - and finished with ten men after Mahmoud Dahoud was shown a straight red in the second half.
Albion had the boost of an early goal from Simon Adingra – his fourth of the season – and found Blades’ keeper Wes Foderingham in fine form as they pressed for a second.
It didn’t come and when Dahoud’s challenge on Ben Osborn was deemed worthy of a straight red by referee John Brookes midway through the second half the mood changed.
Adam Webster’s own goal, the visitors’ only shot on target, came within four minutes of Albion going down to ten men and they couldn't respond and find a winner.
There had been six changes to the team that had beaten Ajax and with a lengthy injury list now containing eight players to contend with Roberto De Zerbi gave places on the bench to three under-21s including Benicio Baker-Boaitey and Mark O’Mahony.
Albion made the perfect start with a sensational goal by Adingra after five minutes. The winger left two defenders trailing as he surged into the box before playing a give-and-go with Facundo Buonanotte and sliding a right-foot shot past Foderingham.
The United keeper had already been tested by Ansu Fati’s shot although the Blades did threaten in the second minute when Jan Paul van Hecke’s cross-field pass was cut out by Cameron Archer, but his first-time header drifted wide.
Foderingham came to United’s rescue again in the 15th minute when he rushed out to block Fati’s shot after Adam Lallana had threaded the ball into his path. Webster glanced a header wide and Buonanotte did well to control Billy Gilmour’s diagonal ball and evade two defenders but his volley from a tight angle hit the side netting.
Foderingham tipped Gilmour’s 25-yarder over at full stretch and Albion’s 72% possession summed up a first half when United failed to test Jason Steele.
Joao Pedro and Kaoru Mitoma came on at the break and Joao went close six minutes after the break with a shot from the edge of the box which he whipped a yard over the bar.
Foderingham continued to defy Albion, beating away efforts from Mitoma and Mahmoud Dahoud but there was a twist in the 69th minute when Dahoud’s challenge in the centre circle on Osborn earned the midfielder a straight red.
And within four minutes the Blades levelled when Jayden Bogle drove the ball across the face of goal and, under pressure from Cameron Archer, Webster’s outstretched leg diverted the ball past the helpless Steele. It nearly got even worse when Bogle was given a sight of goal but drove his right-foot shot beyond the far post.
United sensed they could go on and win it and Albion struggled to regain their earlier rhythm as the exertions of the last few weeks caught up on a squad missing eight players. The international break has come at an ideal time for a re-set.
Albion: Steele, Gross, Webster, van Hecke, Julio, Gilmour (Baleba 70), Mahmoud, Buonanotte (Mitoma 45), Adingra, Lallana (Joao Pedro 45), Fati (Veltman 70).
Subs not used: Verbruggen, Moder, Hinshelwood, Baker-Boaitey, O’Mahony.
Referee: John Brookes
Attendance: 31367