Five games into the Championship season and Charlton Athletic are one of only two teams to find themselves unbeaten – the other being league leaders Nottingham Forest. 

Two wins and three draws has pushed the Addicks into sixth place, an impressive feat considering four of the five sides they faced finished in a higher position last season.

The key to their bright start has undoubtedly been their home form. After three games in all competitions, The Valley is yet to see anything less than a Charlton victory.

Wins against promotion candidates Wigan Athletic and Derby County was an impressive statement for a side that only won seven league matches at home last season.

In addition to this, draws against Huddersfield Town, Brentford and Brighton and Hove Albion have all contributed to their top six standing.

Despite their strong start in the league, Charlton have been eliminated from the Capital One Cup in the second round.

Following a 4-0 victory over League One’s Colchester United, Derby County were able to avenge their recent defeat by winning 1-0 at Pride Park and dumping Charlton out of the competition. 

The Addicks have a new manager for the season, Bob Peeters, who is enjoying his first spell back in England since his two seasons as a player for Millwall.

In joining Charlton, he left Belgian Pro-League side Waasland-Beveren, with whom he narrowly avoided relegation in the 2013/14 campaign.

Peeters is the Addicks’ third manager under new owner Roland Duchâtelet, the Belgian businessman who owns a number of football clubs, including Standard de Liège; the source of two transfers and two loan players in the summer window.

Alongside George Tucudean and Tal Ben Haim from Standard Liège, Charlton have brought in seven more players, including Kurtis Cumberbatch, a development squad player signed from Watford.

However, the side’s strongest piece of business so far seems to be their signing of Igor Vetokele, an Angolan striker brought in to replace Marvin Sordell; whose eight goals on loan from Bolton Wanderers granted him a move to the Premier League with Burnley.

Since joining from FC Copenhagen, Vetokele has helped himself to five league goals including a brace against Brighton and was voted Championship player of the month for September.

Against Watford last season, the Addicks were able to record a home win and an away draw and haven’t lost to the Golden Boys since October 2012. On that day the Hornets secured a 2-1 victory at The Valley.

Despite their unbeaten start, Charlton are yet to keep a clean sheet in the league and the last four matches between Watford and The Addicks have averaged a total of four goals per game.

Charlton Athletic XI vs Brighton and Hove Albion (30/8/14): Henderson; Solly, Wiggins, Bikey, Ben Haim; Buyens, Berg Gudmundsson, Jackson, Cousins; Tucudean, Vetokele.