Charlton Athletic

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Charlton Athletic boss Nathan Jones felt his side were "very good defensively" in their draw with Southampton.

The Addicks went behind to a Ross Stewart header after the break but were able to rescue a point thanks to a Sonny Carey goal.

After 90 minutes with the score still level, 10 minutes of added time were played and Saints really pushed Charlton, but Jones' backline stood firm and were able to leave the south coast with a point.

"Southampton are a really good side at the level," Jones said after the game. "And after what they did to us at home when we were too open and gave up too many clear-cut chances, we knew we couldn't do that - and we didn't.

"I thought we were really good defensively, very disciplined but we could have had a little bit more quality in transition and built a little bit more.

"Every time we did build, or every time we secured the first or second pass, we actually got in, so I would have liked this to have been a little bit more. But on the scale of stuff, it's a good point."

Charlton are next in action when they play Championship strugglers West Bromwich Albion on Tuesday.

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Southampton will look to gain further ground on the Championship play-off places when they welcome a Charlton Athletic side looking to steer clear of the relegation zone on Saturday (kick-off 15:00 GMT).

The Saints are in fine form with three wins on the bounce and four victories in their past five (D1) to move within two points of the top six going into the weekend.

The Addicks are seven points clear of the relegation zone with three wins in their past seven games (D1 L3), having won just one of 11 previously (D3 L7).

• Southampton won 5-1 away to Charlton in November of this season and could win home and away against them in a league campaign for the first time since 1989-90, which came in the top-flight.

• Southampton have won both of their home games against promoted sides in the league this season (2-1 v Wrexham and 3-1 v Birmingham) – they last won three in a Championship campaign in 2007-08 (v Blackpool, Scunthorpe and Bristol City).

• Southampton are unbeaten in their past five league games (W4 D1), winning each of the past three on the bounce.

• Charlton Athletic have won just one of their past 10 away league games (D3 L6), though that win came in their most recent game on the road (2-0 at Leicester).

• Charlton have scored 11 goals via substitutes in the Championship this season, with only Ipswich Town scoring more (12). Indeed, both of Charlton's league goals in February came from substitutes (Tyreece Campbell vs Stoke and Jayden Fevrier vs Portsmouth).

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Puma's Rainbow ball will return to the English Football League as part of an on-going campaign against discrimination and homophobia.

The special edition rainbow ball was introduced in 2024 to mark LGBTQ+ History Month and will be used at every EFL game from 20 February until 1 March.

Manufacturers Puma will make a donation to Football v Homophobia for every goal scored with their rainbow ball across the Championship, League One and League Two.

The donations will help support education against homophobia and promote inclusion across the season.

The EFL have released a video, external to coincide with the campaign which features a Preston North End fan who was charged with a hate crime following homophobic chanting during an FA Cup fixture against Chelsea.

The rainbow ball will also feature in EFL partner EA Sports' FC 26 video game.

"The rainbow ball is a powerful symbol of the values we uphold across the EFL all season long," EFL chief executive officer Trevor Birch said.

"It not only reflects our longstanding commitment to ensuring the League is representative of all its diverse communities, but also reminds us that we all have a role to play in creating an environment in which everyone feels they truly belong."

Paul Sullivan
Fan writer

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Going into the Portsmouth game, there was reason to feel content.

Charlton had strung together three fine performances, earning seven points and three clean sheets. There was momentum, confidence, a sense that Nathan Jones had steadied the ship.

But there was also a nagging awareness of Portsmouth's threat — they'd battled bravely against Preston and Sheffield United, even if the results hadn't gone their way.

It was going too well, wasn't it?

For me, the tide actually began to turn last Saturday when Blackburn unexpectedly won at QPR. Perhaps not that surprising, aided as they were by the 'new manager bounce' under Michael O'Neill.

And then, before kick-off, came another blow: Matty Godden ruled out with a hamstring issue. Jones had spoken pre-match of having a strong squad to choose from — while Portsmouth had a much depleted squad.

Charlton's night unravelled from there. Harry Clarke missed a golden early chance, and on 22 minutes, Thomas Kaminski allowed a soft effort from Terry Devlin to creep in.

Then there were the cards. Referee Leigh Doughty seemed determined to brandish yellow at every red shirt in sight, before awarding a contentious penalty to make it 2-0.

Momentum, as in life, can reward and punish in equal measure. And it punished us.

The frustration in the stands boiled over after the final whistle as one fan voiced their anger, and Jones reacted.

It was that kind of night: rotten, raw, and restless in SE7.

Now comes another south coast test — Southampton away.

The side who humiliated us 5–1 here back in November. Will the tide turn again in our favour? Or are we drifting back toward the Championship's relegation scrap?

For me, this was a grim echo of the Millwall performance.

We lacked the front-footed aggression that had driven us in recent weeks. We didn't block shots, didn't close down space, didn't lay a glove on an injury-ravaged relegation-threatened Portsmouth side who simply looked sharper and braver.

That's what hurts most. These so-called six-pointers offered a chance to break free of danger — instead, we froze.

The referee didn't help, but the bigger story is our failure to compete.

It was the chance to show we were serious about safety. And we blew it.

The joys — and agonies — of following your football team. Gutted!

Charlton Athletic boss Nathan Jones admitted his side were "poor" in the 3-1 defeat at home to Portsmouth on Tuesday night.

"We were poor in moments," Jones told BBC Radio London.

"We had a glorious opportunity after the first minute which would have really set the tone for the night.

"Then we got dominated physically between both boxes. I can moan about the goals because it's gone straight through our goalkeeper, shouldn't go in.

"Second one, it's a penalty that's touched his chest first and then handball. And then they scored another one from distance.

"We have chances from five yards, we probably had better chances on the night but in between both boxes, we got dominated physically and that's not like us."

Image source, BBC Sport

Charlton Athletic host Portsmouth in a crucial match-up at the bottom end of the table on Tuesday (19:45 GMT) after the original game had to be abandoned earlier in the season.

The Addicks will aim to build on their impressive 1-0 win over Stoke City last time out as Nathan Jones' side tries to continue to trend upwards.

Pompey hope to bounce back after 1-0 defeats by Sheffield United and Preston North End. A win over Charlton would take them to 19th and four points clear of the relegation zone with a game in hand.

• Having won six of their eight home Football League games against Portsmouth between March 1995 and April 2006 (D2), Charlton Athletic have since won just two of their last seven against them at the Valley (D2 L3).

• Following their 2-1 win in December, Portsmouth are looking to complete the league double over Charlton for the first time since 1985-86.

• Charlton have kept a clean sheet in each of their last three league games. They last had a longer run without conceding in October 2020 (six games), while in the Championship their last longer run was November 2013 (four games).

• Portsmouth have won just two of their 14 Championship away games this season (D5 L7), with both of those being 1-0 wins against the current bottom two sides (Oxford in August, Sheffield Wednesday in January).

• Charlton's Matty Godden has scored in all five of his Football League appearances against Portsmouth, though he hasn't faced them since February 2020 while at Coventry.

Image source, BBC Sport

Paul Sullivan
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

You never quite know which version of Stoke City will turn up these days.

Since their relegation from the Premier League in 2018, they've remained a solid, seasoned Championship side, typically organised and hard to beat, although they came perilously close to falling through the League One trapdoor last season.

They swatted Charlton aside 3-0 in November, helped by a defensive injury crisis in SE7 at the time, but Wednesday was a very different night at The Valley.

Nathan Jones - ruthless, driven and visibly emotional at the final whistle - watched his re-energised Charlton side earn a huge, hard-fought victory over his former club. It's the Addicks' third clean sheet in a row and yet another significant result in Jones' tenure.

Charlton attacked with intent from the start, posing real questions of Stoke's backline.

We had to wait until the 81st minute before eventually striking through Tyreece Campbell, who turned a nervy first touch into a moment of pure elation in front of a bouncing Covered End.

Every player put in a shift with Luke Chambers, Kayne Ramsay, Lloyd Jones and the epitome of cool Amari Bell, standing out as Charlton held firm under pressure.

Jones' tactical tweak has proved a masterstroke, with Conor Coady shielding the backline superbly.

Stoke enjoyed more possession but rarely forced Thomas Kaminski into action.

Their lack of cutting edge was in stark contrast to the belief coursing through this Charlton team, a belief Jones spoke of post-match and one now clearly reflected in the stands too.

The defence feels rock solid again and confidence is spreading quickly. With January's new additions bedding in beautifully and Miles Leaburn close to returning, there's genuine momentum building in SE7.

On a personal note, I don't regret switching work shifts for this one - the things we do for love!

If this spirit and structure hold, Charlton should climb clear of danger with room to spare.

Next up, Portsmouth and the opportunity to surge past the 40-point mark. COYA.

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Charlton manager Nathan Jones told BBC Radio London that the 1-0 victory over Stoke, who sacked him in 2019, was extra special for him. Jones's decision to bring Tyreece Campbell off the bench in the second half proved inspired as the striker grabbed a late winner.

"It has been an emotional night for me so I wanted to get off the pitch as soon as possible or I'd have got myself in trouble.

"They (Stoke fans) have given me stick ever since I was there. I mean Stoke fans gave me stick when I was there. So I expect that.

"I wouldn't read too much into that. That's part and parcel of it. They give me a little bit. I give them a little bit. Surely they realise that's banter, especially when we have won the game.

"I thought we deserved it. I had a feeling about TC (Tyreece Campbell) tonight after last Friday night's game where I didn't feel he was at it. I gave him a little bit of a chat and I just had a feeling about him tonight.

"If he realises how good he is and gets his mental side of everything right, then the kid can go all the way.

"He moves like a Premier League player. How he controls things, how he shifts, how he runs - he has all the physical attributes to be that. It's just up to us to bring that together."

Charlton Athletic will hope to pull further clear of the Championship relegation zone when they welcome a Stoke City side looking to reignite their play-off hopes on Wednesday night (kick-off 19:45 GMT).

The Addicks are four points clear of the bottom three and have lost just twice in their past seven games (W2 D2).

The Potters are without a win in their past five games (D3 L2) and have only won four of their previous 17 matches (D4 L9), which has seen them fall from second place on 4 November to 13th (as of 9 February).

• Charlton Athletic have lost just one of their past eight home league meetings with Stoke City (W5 D2), winning their only two this century: 1-0 in January 2008 and 3-1 in August 2019.

• Stoke City have won just one of their previous eight away games against Charlton Athletic (D2 L5), a 2-1 victory in January 1997 under Lou Macari thanks to a Mike Sheron double. Overall, the Potters have won each of their past two league games against the Addicks, previously winning three in a row in January 1997.

• Charlton Athletic won nine of 10 midweek league games (Tue/Wed/Thu) between Boxing Day 2024 and November 2025 (D1), but are winless in their four since (D1 L3).

• Stoke City have won just one of their past 41 league games in London (D14 L26) – a run that stretches back to December 2014 – beating Queens Park Rangers 2-0 in December 2021.

• Charlton manager Nathan Jones has lost five of his six previous league games against former club Stoke City, with the exception a 2-1 away win with Luton Town in February 2022.

Paul Sullivan
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

There's something intrinsically special about a Friday night at The Valley under the lights.

They used to be quite common, but that only makes them feel more magical now. It was heartening, too, to see another 20,000-plus crowd at our dear old ground.

After the Millwall debacle, a point against London rivals QPR was no bad return, especially after the three secured at Leicester City last time out.

As goalless draws go, it was an enjoyable one, full of energy and purpose.

The January influx has injected new life into Charlton, and hopefully steadied a defence that has caused us headaches since October.

Conor Coady played the full match despite a nasty early head knock. He could have been an instant hero, only to be denied by QPR keeper Joe Walsh, who impressed all night.

Harry Clarke's deliveries from wide were dangerous, while Lyndon Dykes battered away up front against his former club and young Luke Chambers went close to opening his Addicks account.

New signing Collins Sichenje was an unused substitute but has already made waves - his arrival sparking excitement among fans back home in Kenya. Charlton's profile has suddenly gone global and we'll take that all day long.

Coady and Sichenje are real characters and will give Nathan Jones - our very own Marmite manager - extra depth after he marked two years in charge recently. I love Marmite, by the way.

There was no early lethargy this time. Charlton played with intent, cutting down the sideways and backwards passing, looking more assured in possession.

Greg Docherty was steadier, Sonny Carey was lively, if occasionally wild, and Matty Godden is getting sharper with each outing. Hopefully Miles Leaburn returns against Stoke. He's buzzing to get back.

All told, it was a decent point - 14 more should secure safety and if Leicester's six-point deduction helps nudge us there, so be it.

A gritty night under the lights, hard-earned progress and a team finally looking like it belongs again.

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Nathan Jones was disappointed Charlton could not turn their superiority into three points in their goalless draw with QPR at The Valley on Friday night.

QPR goalkeeper Joe Walsh made five saves to thwart the hosts before the visitors almost snatched victory with a number of chances in stoppage time.

Addicks manager Jones told BBC Radio London: "I was really, really pleased with the level of performance. The last eight minutes, we caused ourselves problems by turning the ball over and giving them opportunities to counter on us, which is their strength.

"So I thought first half we were outstanding - we really, really worked. Second half, we started really well. We had three chances and the keeper makes three saves, a great save from Dykesy, a great save from Luke and another one from Charlie.

"We had some really good chances and it's just a shame that we just didn't have that bit of composure to win the game.

"The Championship is the Championship and it's hard, it's difficult. These [QPR] are in good form, they've had to defend well, their keeper was man of the match, so it shows we did something right, it's just a tad disappointing [we didn't win]. We've kept another clean sheet, but just couldn't take one of the chances we created."

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A London derby kicks-off the Championship weekend on Friday night as QPR head from West to South East to take on Charlton (20:01 GMT).

The Addicks are 17th with a three-point cushion over the relegation zone after their eye-catching 2-0 win at Leicester on Saturday, which ended a run of nine away games without a win.

The Hoops are 11th, four points outside the play-offs after winning for the first time in five on Saturday, coming from behind to stun leaders Coventry 2-1.

Julien Stephan's side don't have a good record at The Valley, however, and are winless in seven away games in all competitions, though three of their past four league games were drawn.

• Charlton have lost just one of their past 10 home league games against QPR (W6 D3), and have won each of the past three in a row without conceding.

• Following their 3-1 win in August, QPR are looking to complete their first league double over Charlton since 2007/08.

• Charlton have only failed to score in one of their past 24 home league games, netting in each of the past 11 since a 1-0 loss to Leicester in August.

• QPR are winless in their past six away league games (D3 L3). After both scoring and conceding in the first four in this run, the past two have both finished 0-0.

• Eight of Charlton's nine league wins this season have been to nil – the Addicks have won just one of their 20 league games when conceding at least once this term (D7 L12).

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Today is the final chance of the season for your Championship team to do transfer business.

The window closes at 19:00 GMT, meaning teams - and fans - can avoid the usual late-night transfer scramble.

It has already been a busy window - for some teams anyway - but whether it turns out to be a day of transfer action or a pretty quiet one for your club, you will be able to keep across it all on BBC Sport.

Follow our live text coverage throughout the day here

Paul Sullivan
Fan writer

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Few gave Charlton Athletic much hope when they headed to the King Power, but Nathan Jones' side sensed blood.

Leicester City - a club drifting into chaos with no permanent manager, no January signings, no clean sheets in 23 matches (make that 24 now), a points deduction imminent and looking like a shell of the team that lifted the Premier League trophy nearly a decade ago.

The Addicks, by contrast, arrived with a sense of purpose — and a hunger to right the Millwall wrongs.

The tone was set early when Miles Leaburn's power unsettled Leicester's back line, leading to Caleb Okoli's red card after just 15 minutes.

Charlton played with intent and conviction. Conor Coady, making his full debut, marshalled midfield authority, blending composure with leadership.

Sonny Carey continued his goalscoring prowess with a sublime opener - lifting the ball over a defender with his right foot, spinning inside before finishing crisply with his left for his seventh goal of the season.

When Luke Chambers whipped in a delivery of Premier League quality, Lyndon Dykes stretched to guide home Charlton's second superbly just before half-time.

It was a clever contact by the Scottish international that settled nerves and underlined Jones's game plan: aggression, organisation and work rate over reputation.

Leicester rallied after the interval, even winning a penalty, but Jordan Ayew's effort struck the post and with it went the Foxes' belief.

Charlton managed the closing stages superbly, reshaping and resisting to secure their first away win of 2026 and a precious clean sheet.

This 2–0 victory sends Jones's men three points behind Leicester with a game in hand and for now, a six-point buffer from the relegation zone.

Coady's influence already feels transformative, while Leaburn's fitness will be a pressing concern after a shoulder knock.

What's certain is that Charlton showed character, clarity and bite in a performance built on togetherness - a perfect riposte after the mauling at Millwall.

For a club still fighting to stay afloat, this was a reminder that survival - and perhaps something more - remains well within reach.