Charlton have shown they belong in the Championship.

Despite only scoring one league goal this season, Championship newcomers Charlton Athletic have impressed with their performances.

The Addicks defeated Watford on the opening weekend, drew 0-0 with last season’s play-off semi-finalists Bristol City, and suffered a narrow, and many would argue unfair, 1-0 defeat to Leicester City on Saturday.

According to BBC London’s Louis Mendez, fans should be encouraged by the football they are watching.

“They actually appear to be a more potent attacking force this time around in terms of chances created, and that’s in addition to the step up.

“They just haven’t taken them yet,” Mendez explained. “They will need to sharpen up slightly in front of goal but the way they’re creating chances and the way they’re keeping teams at bay so far has been really positive.”

Despite the small sample size of three matches, Mendez does not expect Nathan Jones’ side to be relegated and believes playing in England’s second tier is appropriate.

“I think Charlton fans will be really pleased by the start to the season because if there was ever any question about whether the Addicks could compete at this level, they’ve answered that emphatically,” said the captain.

Charlton will face League Two Cambridge United tonight (19:45 BST) in the second round of the EFL Cup, in an unpredictable tie.

“For some reason, Charlton at Cambridge is always a tough match. Despite the fact that the two teams are in different divisions, they’ve been familiar opponents in League One in recent years,” Mendez stated.

“It was only a few months ago that Charlton went there and won 1-0 and that was a horrible game of football but Charlton scraped past.”

A convincing EFL Cup result is required to give the players the confidence to continue and cement Charlton’s status as a valuable Championship club, which is the top priority.

Cup competitions allow Mendez to gain momentum throughout the season and propel league form, but the cup itself is not the focus.

“The cup is really not a major priority but you don’t want to lose games like this against a side in League Two because you don’t want anything to dent the good start to the season.”

Tonight’s cup game also provides opportunities for players to grow individually, as new signings and youth playing seek to establish themselves in the squad.

Nathan Jones made 11 changes to his side in the EFL Cup first round win over Stevenage, and Mendez expects more of the same against Cambridge. “I expect there to be changes; there are players who need minutes.

The likes of Harvey Knibbs. Charlie Kelman may start. He has not yet taken off running. “Maybe you’ll get a little sprinkling of the youth again as well.”

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