Charlton Athletic vs Preston North End; Sky Bet Championship
Charlton Athletic vs Preston North End. Sky Bet Championship.
The Valley.
Charlton 1-0 Preston: Karlan Grant scores winner as Addicks maintain perfect start
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Charlton Athletic and Preston North End at The Valley on Saturday; Karlan Grant nets the only goal as Nathan Jones Addicks make it three wins from three.
Saturday 29 August 2026 18:14, UK
Charlton moved to the top of the Championship table after a 1-0 victory over struggling Preston.
Karlan Grant's first goal for the Addicks since rejoining on a free transfer from West Brom ensured that the south Londoners are the only side in the division still boasting a 100 per cent record.
It is the first time that Charlton have won their opening three matches in the second tier since the 1992-93 campaign.
Charlton boss Nathan Jones made just one change from last weekend's win at West Ham with Ivan Mesik replacing Billy Koumetio, who suffered a hamstring injury in the heavy midweek Carabao Cup loss to Tottenham.
The visitors named new signings Stanley Mills and Caleb Wiley on the bench.
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The opening 45 minutes was desperately short on quality with Charlton struggling to find space against organised opposition.
North End had the first clear-cut chance after 30 minutes but Callum Lang was unable to keep his header down from Andrija Vukcevic's left-wing delivery.
Addicks goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo, making his first home appearance after signing on loan from Wrexham, did not have a save to make before the break.
Charlton defender Amari'i Bell produced excellent defending to snuff out the threat of Lang after he initially managed to roam goalside of the Jamaica international.
Charlton finally threatened in the 37th minute. Miles Leaburn produced a brave header from a cross by Tyreece Campbell which went narrowly past the left post.
Grant had the last shooting opportunity in first-half stoppage time but his 30-yard free-kick failed to call Preston keeper Daniel Iversen into action.
Okonkwo had to be switched on to produce a block to deny Delano Burgzorg early in the second period.
Harry Clarke, who spent the second half of last season on loan with Charlton from Ipswich, sent a right-footed effort harmlessly into the Jimmy Seed Stand shortly before the Addicks took a 56th-minute lead.
Grant squeezed a low shot past Iversen after cutting back inside the penalty area to get a better angle from substitute Millenic Alli's ball to his feet.
Preston centre-back Liam Lindsay could only flick over from six yards out after being found by captain Lewis Gibson.
Charlton continued to threaten a second and Leaburn blazed over while substitute Alan Mwamba had a goalbound shot blocked.
Referee Tom Reeves failed to spot Grant's shot striking the arm of Harry Clarke inside the penalty area as the contest headed into stoppage time.
Alli forced Iversen to plunge to his left to push away a fiercely struck effort.
Preston boss Paul Heckingbottom brought on Mills for his debut in the closing stages but he was unable to make any impact.
North End have lost all three of their Championship matches and badly lacked any spark in SE7.
The managers
Charlton's Nathan Jones:
"Let's not be silly - it's three games. We have got a long way to go. We'll enjoy an hour or two tonight and then we'll instantly start looking at West Brom on Wednesday.
"We won't dare to do anything, nobody wins anything yet. If I had a time machine then I'd quickly zip to May and we'd be in the Premier League, but that is not the case.
"We thoroughly deserved it. They had one chance all game, apart from that we contained them.
"We stuck to our shape and tried to believe in what we did. We were excellent, apart from needing a little more cutting edge in the second half.
"It's not so much that we are top of the league, it's that we've got nine points from three games - that is a big haul. It is the manner as well. We have gone to West Ham and had to defend really well but in the other two games we have been well worth the wins."
Preston's Paul Heckingbottom:
"It was in both boxes where it went wrong.
"Until they scored we were very good. It was a horrible goal. Really poor. For the control we had, we would have liked to create more.
"When we were chasing it they got more attempts and broke on us, but that is going to happen when you go 4-2-4 and leave the space.
"I know what is missing and we have to work on it. That was the difference for me - Charlton are willing the ball into the net at the minute and finding a way. I would have taken a far worse performance and the points today.
"We had spells of control but that becomes secondary, it's about winning.
"Everyone is gutted in there, it's a frustrating one for us to take. You have to make things go for you, you can't feel sorry for yourselves. You've got to make the ball go in the net."
