Tottenham Hotspur vs Charlton Athletic: EFL Cup preview, team news and prediction

Tottenham Hotspur will aim to put their disappointing Premier League opener behind them when they host Charlton Athletic in the second round of the EFL Cup on Wednesday evening, August 26, 2026.

The match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium offers Spurs an opportunity to secure their first victory of the new campaign, while Charlton will arrive in North London full of confidence after an impressive start to their Championship season.

The winner will advance to the third-round draw, with those matches due to be played during the weeks beginning September 7 and September 14, 2026.

Tottenham looking to respond

Tottenham’s new era under Roberto De Zerbi got off to a miserable start as they were beaten 3-0 away by Brentford in their opening Premier League fixture.

Despite significant investment in the squad during the summer, Spurs struggled to deal with Brentford and were unable to produce the intensity required. De Zerbi admitted afterwards that his players are still developing into a cohesive unit and acknowledged that they “didn’t fight the right way” during the defeat.

Tottenham’s summer expenditure is set to move beyond £350 million following the arrival of Savinho and the expected addition of Omar Marmoush. However, defensive reliability remains a concern.

Spurs have recorded only two clean sheets in their last 18 competitive matches and also conceded in four of their seven pre-season fixtures.

With Newcastle United awaiting them in the league on Saturday, Tottenham will be eager to gain some momentum against Charlton.

History also favours the hosts. Spurs have won each of their last five meetings with the Addicks, scoring 16 goals and conceding four during that run.

Tottenham’s most recent domestic cup success came in the 2008 EFL Cup. Since then, they have struggled to make a deep run in this competition, failing to progress beyond the fourth round on 10 occasions over the past 18 years.

They were eliminated by Newcastle United in the fourth round last season, while Fulham knocked them out on penalties in the second round during the 2023-24 campaign.

Charlton arrive with confidence

Charlton may be the underdogs, but Nathan Jones’ side have plenty of reasons to believe they can cause problems.

After finishing 19th in the Championship last season following their return to the division, the Addicks have made an excellent beginning to the 2026-27 campaign.

They have won both of their opening league games, beating Derby County and recently relegated West Ham United by identical 2-1 scorelines.

Charlton produced their biggest statement of the season so far at London Stadium last weekend. Despite facing a home crowd of more than 59,000, the visitors showed considerable character to overcome West Ham.

Captain Lloyd Jones opened the scoring before Tyreece Campbell added another goal after the interval to complete what Jones described as a “magnificent win”.

The result extended Charlton’s unbeaten away record against sides relegated from the Premier League to four matches, comprising three victories and one draw.

They are also among just three Championship clubs to have won both of their opening fixtures.

Charlton have added eight players to their squad during the summer and will now attempt to carry their impressive form into the cup.

They began their EFL Cup campaign with a 3-1 victory over Cheltenham Town. However, their record beyond the second round in recent years is less impressive, with their only progression past this stage in the last decade coming in 2022-23, when they eventually reached the quarter-finals.

Last season, Cambridge United eliminated them in the second round after recording a 3-1 home victory.

Charlton’s most recent win at Tottenham came in November 2004, when Alan Curbishley’s team secured a 3-2 Premier League triumph.

Team news

Tottenham have several injury concerns heading into the contest.

Xavi Simons, Dejan Kulusevski and Wilson Odobert are all unavailable with knee problems, while Mohammed Kudus is sidelined by a thigh injury.

James Maddison is also expected to miss around two weeks after suffering a shoulder fracture during the Brentford defeat.

Pape Sarr remains doubtful because of a thigh problem, although De Zerbi has indicated that Micky van de Ven and Pedro Porro are expected to feature from the bench after missing the weekend loss.

Savinho is available for his Spurs debut and could start on the right side.

Mateus Fernandes, Rodrigo Bentancur and Lucas Bergvall are candidates for midfield places, potentially allowing Sandro Tonali and former Charlton loanee Conor Gallagher to begin among the substitutes.

Archie Gray, who recently became Tottenham’s youngest-ever captain, could continue at right-back.

Dominic Solanke is also pushing to return to the starting XI, which could see Richarlison drop to the bench.

Charlton continue to monitor several players recovering from injuries. Matt Godden and Will Mannion are not yet ready to return, while Kayne Ramsay remains out with a knee problem.

Charlie Kelman and Josh Edwards have returned to training and will undergo assessments before the match.

New midfielder Timothy Ouma could be unavailable for selection as he continues to build his fitness with the Under-21 side following his loan move from Slavia Prague.

Nathaniel Chalobah could retain his midfield position alongside Conor Coventry.

Jones must also decide whether to maintain the attacking quartet of Tyreece Campbell, Sonny Carey, Karlan Grant and Miles Leaburn that started against West Ham.

Possible lineups

Tottenham Hotspur: Dubravka; Gray, Van Hecke, Danso, Udogie; Fernandes, Bentancur, Bergvall; Moore, Solanke, Tel

Charlton Athletic: Kaminski; Rankin-Costello, Jones, Burke, Bell; Chalobah, Coventry; Campbell, Carey, Grant; Leaburn

Prediction: Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Charlton Athletic

Charlton’s excellent early-season form means Tottenham should not expect an easy evening.

The visitors have demonstrated plenty of confidence and resilience in their opening matches and could make the contest uncomfortable for a Spurs side still adapting to a heavily revamped squad.

Nevertheless, Tottenham have the greater depth and individual quality, while home advantage should give De Zerbi’s team an additional boost.

Spurs are expected to respond positively to their Brentford setback and edge a competitive encounter to secure their place in the EFL Cup third round.