LONDON (AFP) - Spaniard Pepe Mel's first match as manager of West Bromwich Albion ended in a 1-1 Premier League draw with Everton at the Hawthorns on Monday as the controversy engulfing Nicolas Anelka took a new twist.

Diego Lugano's first goal in English football, a powerful 75th minute header, earned West Brom a share of the spoils after visitors Everton, who would have gone into the Champions League places with a victory, had taken a first-half lead through Kevin Mirallas.

The result saw West Brom move four points clear of the relegation zone and left Everton five in front of reigning champions Manchester United, managed by their former boss David Moyes.

Mel, brought in to replace the sacked Steve Clarke, saw the hours before the match dominated by the latest development in the Anelka 'quenelle' gesture row.

Zoopla, West Brom's shirt sponsor, announced earlier Monday it would not be renewing its multi-million pouunds deal in the wake of the furore surrounding former France striker Anelka's 'quenelle' goal celebration against West Ham last month, a gesture regarded as anti-Semitic by many observers.

The 'quenelle', popularised by French comedian Dieudonne M'bala M'bala, has been described by critics in France as an 'inverted Nazi salute', but Anelka has insisted he was using it merely as "a dedication" to the comic.

On the field, Anelka made a lively start but failed to get on the scoresheet and was substituted soon after the home side's equaliser.

Of the two Spanish managers involved on Monday, it was Everton's Roberto Martinez who was initially the happier when Mirallas scored four minutes before half-time.

Central defender Sylvain Distin, returning after a three-match injury absence, launched the ball towards Romelu Lukaku.

He in turn headed it into the path of Mirallas and his fellow Belgian made no mistake in beating Baggies goalkeeper Ben Foster.