The Valley on Saturday felt like spring and a reality check rolled into one for Charlton Athletic.
Norwich City, battle-hardened from their unlucky defeat at Southampton and not home until 03:00 GMT on Thursday, still had enough about them to show their Championship quality and win through in the end.
Pelle Mattsson’s fifth-minute strike – crisp, clinical and helped by Charlton backing off – underlined key differences between the two outfits.
Norwich’s structure was striking: they moved the ball with real clarity, hunted Charlton in packs when possession was lost and even indulged in a touch of nonchalant showboating at kick-off.
When Charlton did have the ball, the players in yellow and green were pecking at them relentlessly.
For Charlton fans, that opening 45 minutes was a tough watch: passive, short on belief and worryingly familiar for a side that has not scored more than once at home since October.
The early goal brought an uncomfortable thought. After what Southampton did to us in November – conceding five by half-time – was another mauling on the cards for us?
Only goalkeeper Will Mannion, making a string of excellent saves, kept that fear at arm’s length and strengthened his case to keep Thomas Kaminski out of the side.
After the break, though, Charlton finally began to look like the team Nathan Jones is trying to build. The press had more bite, the passing gained purpose and chances came: Greg Docherty, Kayne Ramsay, Harry Clarke and Sonny Carey all went close as Norwich retreated into heroic blocks and counter-attacks.
By the end, after The Valley crowd pleaded for a penalty when Lloyd Jones was wrestled to the floor and sceptical about a mere five minutes added on, Charlton had strong claims to have earned a point.
Norwich, to their credit, showed exactly why Philippe Clement has transformed this team from relegation candidates into one of the form teams in the division.
Their organisation is something Charlton can aspire to: the same intensity home and away, the same belief, the same ruthless use of moments. Yet for all the difference in resources and squad depth, the league table still has Charlton only a handful of points behind – a reminder that this is “Championship school”, and the Addicks are learning quickly.
There are legitimate gripes – the penalty that never came and the baffling delay before the introduction of Charlie Kelman, who had netted twice in recent games.
There is also a fine line between constructive criticism of Tyreece Campbell, who improved markedly when shifted to wing-back, and the caustic abuse that serves nobody.
Because when the anger subsides and the international break gives everyone time to reflect, one truth remains: under Nathan Jones, Charlton are in a good place, nine points clear of trouble, and good enough to take their rightful place in the Championship again in 2026-27.