Tottenham vs Charlton prediction 26.08.2026 | EFL Cup

The last two seasons were terrible for Tottenham, and they are hoping for at least a mid-table finish in the 2026/27 campaign. However, the opening game suggests another difficult year, as De Zerbi's team lost 3-0 on the road against Brentford a few days ago. The result could be even worse, as the hosts finished with an xG of 3.88, while Tottenham had only 0.57. Nothing in Spurs' recent form had indicated such a poor performance, as they entered the match on a seven-game unbeaten preseason run. 

Tottenham are still looking for ways to improve their team this summer. According to reports, Omar Marmoush will soon come from Manchester City. Also, the club is interested in Leon Goretzka, Anatoliy Trubin, Pedro Neto, Cody Gakpo, and Jean-Philippe Mateta. A few players could leave Tottenham, too. 

Tottenham have serious problems with missing players. They will be without Dejan Kulusevski, Wilson Odobert, Pedro Porro, Pape Matar Sarr, Xavi Simon, and Micky van de Ven. Also, Mohammed Kudus is questionable for the upcoming EFL Cup tie. 

Last season, Charlton were close to returning to League One, but they finished with six points more than the drop zone and eventually remained in the second tier of English football. Charlton are significantly better at the start of the 2026/27 campaign, having won all three games so far. Last weekend, Nathan Jones' team triumphed 2-1 on the road against West Ham. The hosts finished the match with 78% ball possession and 18 more shots on goal than the visitors, but Charlton's excellent efficiency was enough for all three points. 

Charlton are working on the transfer of John McAtee from Bolton. However, the attacker has played in all of his team's games so far this season, and it is unclear whether he is even a realistic transfer target. 

Timothy Ouma, Charlie Kelman, and Kayne Ramsey are unavailable for the game on Wednesday night, while Joshua Edwards is questionable, and his status will get clearer closer to kickoff.