West Ham vs Charlton: 2-1 derby loss stings Hammers
Ended 2-1 to the visitors at London Stadium, with Lloyd Jones and Tyreece Campbell scoring before Taty Castellanos missed a stoppage-time penalty. Charlton…
LONDON — West Ham vs Charlton ended in a 2-1 defeat for the Hammers at London Stadium on Saturday, with Charlton Athletic stretching their perfect start to the Championship season. Taty Castellanos missed a stoppage-time penalty that would have rescued a point for the home side.
The result landed hard on West Ham’s first home league match of the season. Charlton left with all three points after Lloyd Jones and Tyreece Campbell put them 2-0 up, while the Hammers were left chasing the game in front of a sell-out crowd of 62,500, including more than 3,000 away supporters.
Charlton strike early in West Ham vs Charlton
Charlton took the lead in the seventh minute. Sonny Carey’s long throw bounced inside the West Ham penalty area, Jones controlled it on his chest and finished with an overhead kick past Mads Hermansen.
That early goal changed the mood fast. West Ham had more of the ball, but Charlton looked sharper in the decisive moments and carried more threat on the break.
Campbell doubled the lead shortly after the interval. He dispossessed Konstantinos Mavropanos, carried the ball into the area and curled a finish into the net, punishing a loose moment at the back.
West Ham pushed forward from there. They had possession. They did not have control.
Pressure builds on Nuno Espirito Santo
The Hammers did pull one back through debutant Joel Piroe, who finished from close range after being handed his first appearance for the club. That goal set up a frantic finish, but Charlton still held on.
West Ham then had the chance to salvage something deep in added time. Conor Coventry was judged to have handled, Castellanos stepped up, and Arthur Okonkwo denied him from the spot.
It was a bitter ending for a side already under pressure. BBC Sport reported that West Ham’s turbulent start to the Championship season continued, while Sky Sports said the defeat piled pressure on head coach Nuno Espirito Santo.
Charlton’s first-half threat stood out in a fixture that, according to BBC Sport, was the first league edition of this London derby since 2007. West Ham had moments of their own, including a strong chance for Castellanos just before the break, when he headed Ollie Scarles’ cross straight at Okonkwo.
Charlton also came close to extending their lead before halftime. Miles Leaburn was gifted a run at goal, though his fierce shot flew wide, a miss that did not end up costing the visitors.
Arthur Okonkwo, who joined Charlton on a season-long loan from Wrexham on Thursday, was called on to steady the side in the second half, and the visitors survived the late pressure. Charlton’s clean start now includes wins over Derby County and West Ham, while the Hammers head into their next match with questions still hanging over their finishing and their defensive concentration.
One missed penalty. One crowded stadium. And one result that leaves West Ham already chasing answers after Charlton walked out of the London Stadium with a 2-1 win.
