Lancashire

Charlton Athletic are one of only three sides with a 100% record in the Championship after the opening two games of the season.

Preston North End are among four sides yet to register a single point, although Southampton are bottom of the table having started the season with a four-point deduction.

• Charlton have lost five of their past seven home league games against Preston (W1 D1), failing to score in four of those matches.

• Preston have won each of their past six league games against Charlton, their longest ongoing winning run against any current Championship side.

• After beating Derby County and West Ham United so far this season, Charlton will be hoping to win their opening three matches of a second-tier campaign for just the second time in club history after the 1992-93 season.

• Preston won their last away league game in London 2-1 against Charlton in April and will be looking to win consecutive such matches for the first time since October 2020.

• Preston boss Paul Heckingbottom is unbeaten in four previous league meetings with Charlton manager Nathan Jones (W3 D1), only facing Nigel Pearson and Dean Smith (5 each) more times without losing in England's top four tiers.

These two sides are yet to register a league win between them in their combined opening four games of the season.

Burnley's point against West Ham on the opening weekend is all these two highly-fancied teams have to show for their efforts so far.

• Norwich City have won just one of their past 12 league games against Burnley (D3 L8), their only win coming via a 2-0 home success in April 2022.

• Burnley have won each of their past four league games against Norwich City across the 2022-23 and 2024-25 seasons and will be hoping for five successive victories in this fixture for the first time.

• After losing their opening two league games this season, Norwich will be hoping to avoid losing their opening three league fixtures of a second-tier campaign for the first time since 1997-98.

• Since 1 November 2025, Burnley have won fewer games than any other ever-present team across England's top four tiers, recording just a single win from their 31 matches (D10 L20).

• Burnley have failed to win any of their 10 league games without Zian Flemming appearing since the start of last season (D3 L7), losing five of six away matches in that period.

Image source, Getty Images

Burnley manager Nicky Hayen admits it has become a matter of urgency for the Clarets to strengthen their strike force before the transfer window closes.

Wednesday's penalty shootout defeat to Bradford City in the Carabao Cup came after they had been kept scoreless by the League One side after 90 minutes.

After just four goals in four games this season, Hayen says his side have to sharpen up in front of goal.

"It's a concern because we do enough to create chances and be in the box. We just have to be more clinical," Hayen told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"It's not only this season but also last season that our goal threatening was not enough.

"We're busy with offensive players because the goal threatening has to be higher. We need more competition for each other in the team. Everyone sees that it is urgent now."

Hayen, who succeeded Scott Parker as manager after Burnley's relegation from the Premier League, has a fight on his hands to win over the home support with the club on a run of 17 games without a win inside 90 minutes.

"The season has already started and not in the best way for us but we're really confident we can change things around," said the Belgian.

"If you see through the history of the club, always when we came back from the PL in the Championship we were struggling the first few weeks, then suddenly after one or two months we started and this is something that will happen again."

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views after Burnley's penalty shootout defeat to Bradford City in the Carabao Cup following a goalless draw at Valley Parade on Wednesday.

Here are a selection of your responses:

David: Should have been able to get a result but early spaces and pace couldn't be turned into goals. Inevitable how it finished because the team lacks desire and belief that they can be successful.

MK: Burnley will be swapping leagues with Bradford City come the end of this season. 17 games without a win wow. This is dire. Burnley manager isn't up for the job, 2nd choices normally aren't.

Brads: Very promising, moving the ball quickly. But the same flaws appear time after time. Very weak defensively, powder puff up front.

Gav: We're always poor in the cups against lower league opposition. That aside, right now we're double relegation candidates. The squad isn't good enough and I think the manager knows it. No player delivers consistently and that's what the fans are annoyed about.

Alan: Carrying on from last season. Can't score, can't defend. Only the quality of the opposition saving Burnley from total humiliation every game. A long season ahead with mid-table mediocrity the best fans can hope for.

Graeme: Same old story. When are they going to sign a striker? Broja was a stupid buy and has continued, on the odd occasions that he is fit, to prove his inability to even get close to the target, never mind score. Flemming wants out - and can't be relied on to hit the target - and Foster is, if anything, worse than Broja.

Carl: We have been missing a great striker in the last season. Having said goodbye to Josh Brownhill, Jay Rodriguez and Josh Cullen, it feels like the heart has gone out of us as well.

Steven: Was better than West Brom game for sure. We are just missing something at the moment. There were players playing last night who are nowhere near fit enough hence why we got worse as the game went on. It will come, stop booing please and get behind the lads. UTC

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Forest Green Rovers have signed left-back Freddie Sass from Accrington Stanley on a two-year deal for an undisclosed fee.

The 25-year-old played 32 games for the League Two side after joining from King's Lynn Town last summer.