West Ham United have already been warned what can happen if they fail to control a lead in the Championship, and Charlton Athletic arrive at London Stadium having just ended a remarkable ten-year drought by doing exactly the opposite.
Nuno Espírito Santo watched his side surrender a 2-0 advantage during their 2-2 opening-day draw at Burnley.
Charlton began their campaign in very different fashion. Nathan Jones’ side fell behind against Derby County before recovering to win 2-1, becoming the first Charlton team in a decade to win a Championship match after conceding first.
That makes game management one of the most intriguing areas of Saturday’s London derby.
West Ham vs Charlton carries clear warning after Burnley
West Ham appeared to have their Championship opener under control when Manor Solomon doubled their advantage after Maximilian Kilman’s first-half header.
They left Turf Moor with only a point.
Zian Flemming converted an 83rd-minute penalty before equalising in stoppage time, with West Ham ultimately registering only two shots on target during the match.
Nuno subsequently admitted his side should have managed the closing stages better.
It is particularly relevant because Charlton have immediately demonstrated the mentality required to punish another team from a losing position.
News Shopper reports that the Addicks’ 2-1 victory over Derby was their first Championship win from behind since April 2016.
Carlton Morris put Derby ahead after 23 minutes, but Charlton improved after the break.
Lloyd Jones equalised before Tyreece Campbell completed the turnaround with ten minutes remaining.
West Ham therefore cannot assume an advantage will be enough on Saturday.
Nuno has more options to control the second half
There is one substantial difference between Turf Moor and this weekend.
Nuno’s squad is stronger.
West Ham could hand Arne Engels and Joel Piroe their debuts against Charlton after neither was available to start at Burnley.
Engels could be particularly important if West Ham find themselves protecting an advantage.
The £22million midfielder provides another player capable of retaining possession and helping Nuno control the tempo rather than simply defending deeper as pressure increases.
Piroe provides another potential route.
Instead of attempting to protect a narrow lead, West Ham could possess greater attacking quality to chase the decisive second or third goal.
There are still fitness questions to resolve, with Pablo Felipe among the issues covered in our latest West Ham vs Charlton team news.
Saturday is only the second league game of a long Championship season, but Burnley provided an immediate lesson.
Charlton’s opening result suggests they are well equipped to find out whether West Ham have learned it.
