Nuno Espirito Santo's West Ham have managed just one point across their opening two Championship matches, a disappointing start for a club widely expected to mount an immediate challenge for promotion back to the Premier League following their May 2026 relegation.
The Hammers suffered a 2-1 home defeat to Charlton Athletic on Saturday, extending their poor run after squandering a 2-0 lead in their season opener to draw 2-2 at Burnley. The loss came despite West Ham dominating possession and creating numerous opportunities, with Charlton securing all three points through goals from Lloyd Jones in the seventh minute and Tyreece Campbell in the 56th minute, while West Ham's sole reply came through J. Piroe in the 74th minute.
In the closing stages, West Ham were denied a potential lifeline when Taty Castellanos missed a stoppage-time penalty, a moment that encapsulated their afternoon of frustration at London Stadium.
What did Nuno say about the performance?
Nuno acknowledged the magnitude of the disappointment, pointing to the 62,000 supporters who attended the match.
It's West Ham, the pressure is every day. It's a big club. You just see our fans - there were 62,000 people in the stands and we let them down. This is the more disappointing feeling.
When asked whether the large crowd at London Stadium might have galvanised the opposition, Nuno rejected that notion.
The crowd is for us and we let them down today. We were not able to do what they deserved, which was to win.
Reflecting on the tactical aspects of the defeat, Nuno acknowledged that while his team created sufficient chances, their execution in both boxes fell short of what was required.
We created a lot of situations but we weren't accurate enough in the boxes. We have to defend much better. We had a lot of possession and tried to break them down, which is not easy.
How did the statistics reflect the match?
West Ham's dominance in possession was stark: they controlled the ball for more than 77% of the match and accumulated an expected goals total of 2.96 compared to Charlton's 0.57. West Ham registered seven shots with five on target and created four Opta-defined big chances, while Charlton generated just 0.6 expected goals and created none of those high-quality opportunities.
Despite this statistical superiority, West Ham's inability to convert their chances proved decisive. The opening goal came after a defensive lapse when Lloyd Jones capitalised on West Ham's failure to clear a long throw-in from inside their penalty area. The second arrived when Konstantinos Mavropanos was dispossessed near his own box, allowing Campbell to finish clinically.
What is the historical context?
This was West Ham's first home Championship match since August 2011, when they lost 1-0 to Cardiff City. The club's return to the second tier came after their relegation from the Premier League in May 2026, with expectations high that they would challenge immediately for promotion.
West Ham and Charlton had not met in a league match since February 2007, when Charlton defeated West Ham 4-0 in the Premier League. Charlton's victory on Saturday extended their perfect start to the 2026-27 Championship season, having also beaten Derby County on the opening day.
What lies ahead for West Ham?
Nuno expressed his determination to improve despite the setback, emphasising the need for repetition and refinement in the final third.
We're still able to create a lot of situations that we should - and will, for sure in the future - finish better. This season, it's clear that we're going to be protagonists and will have more of the ball. We [will work on] combinations in the final third and in one-on-ones, creating situations that can allow us to score. We're going to repeat, repeat, repeat - but keep the belief in the process. We're going to get together and bounce back.
West Ham's next fixture is a Carabao Cup second-round tie away to Southampton on 25 August 2026, with the match scheduled for a 7:45pm kick-off at St Mary's Stadium. Following that cup encounter, they face back-to-back Championship matches against unbeaten sides Watford and Wolverhampton Wanderers, fixtures that will test their ability to recover from their poor start.
Key Facts
- West Ham have taken one point from their first two Championship matches after drawing 2-2 at Burnley and losing 2-1 at home to Charlton
- Despite dominating possession with 77% of the ball and creating an expected goals total of 2.96, West Ham failed to convert their chances and conceded twice from defensive errors
- Charlton extended their perfect start to the 2026-27 Championship season with their second consecutive victory
- West Ham face Southampton in the Carabao Cup on 25 August 2026 before league matches against Watford and Wolves
