Charlton Athletic defeats West Ham United as Castellanos misses late penalty
Charlton Athletic secured a 2-1 victory over West Ham United in a Championship London derby, with Valentin Castellanos missing a penalty for the Hammers in stoppage time. This result marks Charlton’s perfect start to the season, while West Ham’s turbulent beginning to their Championship campaign continues.
Lloyd Jones opened the scoring for Charlton with an overhead kick in the seventh minute after a long throw-in from Sonny Carey. Jones, who also scored an equalizer in Charlton’s previous win against Derby County, found the net past Mads Hermansen. The visitors doubled their lead shortly after the break when Tyreece Campbell dispossessed Konstantinos Mavropanos and curled a shot into the bottom right corner in the 56th minute. This goal came in front of a sell-out crowd of 62,500 at the London Stadium, which included over 3,000 away fans.
Match Highlights and Key Moments
West Ham, despite dominating possession after Charlton’s second goal, managed to pull one back through debutant Joel Piroe in the 74th minute. Piroe, on loan from Leeds, scored from close range after Arthur Okonkwo, Charlton’s goalkeeper on loan from Wrexham, initially parried a shot from Castellanos. Earlier in the match, Castellanos had a chance to score before halftime, but his header from Ollie Scarles’ cross went straight to Okonkwo.
Charlton’s goalkeeper, Arthur Okonkwo, made several key saves throughout the match, including a one-handed stop from Piroe’s shot and a tip-over to deny Divine Mukasa. Miles Leaburn also had an opportunity for Charlton, hitting the crossbar in the 19th minute. West Ham’s pressure intensified, with Jarrod Bowen creating chances and Castellanos heading narrowly wide from another Scarles delivery.
The decisive moment arrived in stoppage time when Conor Coventry was penalized for handball, leading to a penalty for West Ham. However, Castellanos’ spot-kick struck the base of the right post, denying the home side a late equalizer. This miss confirmed Charlton’s victory and their second consecutive win of the season, placing them alongside Millwall as the only teams to achieve this feat in the Championship.
Manager Reactions and Future Fixtures
West Ham head coach Nuno Espírito Santo expressed his frustration, stating that his team was punished by situations they knew Charlton would exploit. He acknowledged that his side was not accurate enough in the boxes and needed to defend better. Despite the loss, Nuno defended Castellanos’ penalty attempt, stating, “We trust Taty to take the penalties.” He also mentioned feeling pressure, noting the disappointment of letting down the 62,000 fans. Nuno’s team had also previously squandered a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 against Burnley.
Charlton manager Nathan Jones acknowledged some luck at the end but emphasized that his team earned it. He praised his players’ organization and tactical discipline, particularly in the first half. Jones highlighted the performances of Lloyd Jones and Tyreece Campbell, as well as goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo, describing him as outstanding. Jones also noted the significance of winning at the London Stadium, calling it the toughest place to visit in the Championship.
Looking ahead, Charlton will play away again in London for their Carabao Cup second-round tie against Premier League club Tottenham on Wednesday. They will then host Preston North End in the Championship on Saturday. West Ham will also be in EFL Cup action, traveling to fellow Championship side Southampton on Tuesday, before facing Watford away a week later.
Source: bbc.com
