West Bromwich Albion host Charlton Athletic at The Hawthorns on 2 September 2026, an early season Championship fixture pitting two sides going in opposite directions. Charlton arrive as the division's only team with a perfect record, three wins from three leaving them top with nine points and a plus three goal difference, whereas West Brom sit seventh on six points after two wins and a defeat. The gap matters less than what it signals: Charlton have positioned themselves as frontrunners while Morrison's side, still finding their footing under new permanent leadership, are searching for the consistency their opening results have not quite delivered. James Morrison was appointed on 30 April 2026, replacing Eric Ramsay, while Nathan Jones has been at Charlton since February 2024, the two have met rarely in the dugout and neither holds a clear advantage in those encounters.
West Brom beat Burnley 3-1 and Norwich 2-1 before losing 3-1 at Middlesbrough on 29 August, a result that exposed Phillips and Campbell badly, with three goals conceded in what looked like a high line caught repeatedly on the break. Charlton's wins have been narrower and more controlled: a 1-0 at Preston sandwiched between 2-1s over West Ham and Derby. They have yet to score more than twice in a game but have not conceded in any of them, three wins and three clean sheets with nothing getting away from them.
West Brom have a full squad available, whereas Charlton will be without Joshua Edwards, out with an ankle injury, which forces Jones to reshuffle and could disrupt the midfield transitions where Edwards had offered reliability.
Morrison has favoured 4-4-1-1 setups that prioritise midfield control before springing transitions. Isaac Price is the central hub, linking play and contributing goals and assists, while Jimmy-Jay Morgan sits ahead of him and operates in the half spaces between Charlton's defensive lines. The back four of Nathaniel Phillips and George Campbell looked exposed at Middlesbrough, conceding three and Charlton will have noted that.
Charlton's compact 4-2-3-1 is built around defensive organisation and quick counters. Lloyd Jones marshals the back four and scores from set pieces, Sonny Carey feeds Tyreece Campbell, who carries the goal scoring burden, while Karlan Grant operates wide on the right. Without Edwards, Jones may push one of his midfielders deeper, which could open a gap between the lines that Price is built to exploit, receiving the ball and turning before Charlton's remaining cover can reorganise. That might also leave Grant and Campbell more isolated when Charlton's counters lose their usual tempo. The biggest battles will run through the middle and if Price finds room to receive between the lines without Charlton's usual midfield press forcing him sideways, West Brom's wider runners should find space in behind rather than needing to manufacture it through combination play.
Across 63 meetings the record is almost dead even: 22 wins for Charlton, 21 for West Brom and 20 draws. Recent results are similarly balanced, with Charlton winning the reverse fixture in November 2025 and the sides drawing in February 2026, meaning that November result gives Jones something more concrete than sentiment going into this one.
Set pieces could prove decisive. Price's delivery will be aimed at West Brom's attacking targets in the box, the near post and second phase areas the most likely destinations, while Jones will look to Lloyd Jones as a set piece threat from the other end, with the captain already having scored from that route this season.
The Edwards absence is the clearest differentiator. He was Charlton's midfield organiser and without him gaps could open when West Brom switch play quickly to Morgan or Price. Against Burnley, West Brom created enough through midfield combinations to suggest they can do similar damage against a reshuffled back line and if they defend deeper than they did at Middlesbrough, Charlton's counters should have less room to run into than they would want. A goal from a midfield transition or a set piece header looks the most likely route to the three points and a win would lift the hosts into the top six while ending Charlton's perfect start. West Brom 1-0 Charlton.
Ryan Baldi
Football Writer
Ryan Baldi is a professional football writer with years of experience and has been featured by respected outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, Sky Sports, DAZN, FourFourTwo, ESPN, Yahoo Sport and Football365. He has also written several books including Arsène Who?.
