Charlton Athletic surged to the summit of the Championship after edging out a struggling Preston North End side by a solitary goal. The decisive strike came from Karlan Grant, who netted his first goal for the Addicks since re‑joining the club on a free transfer from West Bromwich Albion. That goal secured Charlton’s place as the only team in the league still boasting a 100% win record after three matches. It also marked the first occasion since the 1992‑93 season that Charlton have started a second‑tier campaign with three straight victories.
Manager Nathan Jones made just a single alteration to the lineup that had delivered a win at West Ham United the previous weekend. Defensive midfielder Ivan Mesik was drafted in to replace Billy Koumetio, who suffered a hamstring injury during the heavy Carabao Cup defeat to Tottenham Hotspur earlier in the week.
On the bench, new arrivals Stanley Mills and Caleb Wiley were named among the substitutes. The opening half was a tight, low‑key affair, with both sides finding it difficult to create clear‑cut chances. Charlton struggled to carve out space against a well‑organised Preston defence, while the visitors produced the first genuine opportunity of the match in the 30th minute. Callum Lang rose to meet a left‑wing cross from Andrija Vukčević, but his header lacked the power to trouble the keeper.
Charlton’s goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo, playing his first home game after arriving on loan from Wrexham, was not called upon to make a save before the interval. Defender Amari'i Bell performed a solid defensive block to deny Lang a second‑time chance after the forward had briefly found himself on the wrong side of the Jamaican international.
The Addicks began to show more intent in the 37th minute when Miles Leaburn rose powerfully to meet a Tyreece Campbell cross, his header skimming just wide of the left post. In first‑half stoppage time, Grant attempted a long‑range free‑kick from around 30 yards, but the strike sailed over the bar, leaving Preston keeper Daniel Iversen untouched.
The second half opened with Okonkwo forced to rush off his line to block an early attempt from Delano Burgzorg. Harry Clarke, who had spent the latter part of the previous season on loan at Charlton from Ipswich Town, sent a right‑footed effort into the stands, barely missing a chance to put Charlton ahead.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 56th minute. Grant, having cut inside the penalty area to gain a better angle, received a pass from substitute Millenic Alli and calmly slotted a low‑driven shot past Iversen. Preston centre‑back Liam Lindsay could only flick the ball away from six yards out after a header from captain Lewis Gibson. The goal gave the Addicks a 1‑0 lead that they would defend for the remainder of the match.
Charlton continued to press for a second goal. Leaburn unleashed a powerful drive that went over the bar, while substitute Alan Mwamba saw a promising strike blocked by Preston’s defence.
In stoppage time, referee Tom Reeves missed a handball by Harry Clarke inside the box after Grant’s follow‑up shot struck his arm, a moment that could have altered the scoreline had it been awarded. Preston attempted a late surge, with manager Paul Heckingbottom bringing on Stanley Mills for his debut. However, Mills was unable to make a decisive impact as the North End side had already lost all three of their opening Championship fixtures and appeared lacking in any spark. After the final whistle, Nathan Jones was cautious in his praise.
"It’s only three games, so we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves," he said. "We’ll enjoy this win tonight but then we turn our focus to West Brom on Wednesday. No one has won anything yet, and we have to keep working. If I had a time machine I’d jump straight to May and see us in the Premier League, but we’re not there yet.
We deserved the win – they only had one real chance all game, and we kept them contained. We stuck to our shape and believed in our plan, but we need a bit more cutting edge in the second half. Nine points from three games is a big haul, but it’s the way we earned them that matters." Heckingbottom, on the other hand, was more critical of his side’s performance.
"We were good in both boxes until they scored," he admitted. "That was a horrible goal, very poor. We had control for periods, but when we lost it they got more attempts.
Our 4‑2‑4 set‑up left too much space, and we need to fix that. Charlton were willing to put the ball into the net at the right moment, and we have to learn from that.
I’m not happy with the performance, but at least we took points. Everyone is gutted – it’s frustrating, but you can’t feel sorry for yourself. You have to make the ball go in the net." The match also featured a reminder that fans can watch EFL games on their phones and enjoy free Championship highlights. In addition, a promotional note invited readers to play the Super 6 competition for a chance to win £250,000, emphasizing that entry is free.
The victory solidifies Charlton’s early season momentum and sets the stage for a challenging upcoming clash with West Bromwich Albion, while Preston must regroup quickly to avoid a further slide down the table.