Manchester United will face Charlton in the last eight of the EFL Cup at dawn on Wednesday (11th). Charlton had a great time in the Premier League, signing Chinese soccer star Zheng Zhi. The last time these two teams met was in February 2007, when Zheng Zhi was still fighting with Manchester United at the Otford Stadium.
Charlton, with a history of 117 years, made their debut in the Premier League in 1998, but were relegated after only one season. After a season of struggling to get back into the Premier League, they were nicknamed "The Lifters", and in the 2003/04 season, the London side finished 7th in the Premier League under the guidance of Gruppesley, aided by Italian star Di Cannio.
Charlton even entered the Chinese market, announcing at the end of 2006 that they were bringing in Chinese star Zheng Zhi on a rent-and-buy deal. The all-rounder made his debut for Charlton in February 2007 against Manchester United. He came on as a substitute after 40 minutes of the first half, but Charlton lost 0-2 and were eventually relegated that season, and never set foot on the Premier League stage again, gradually sinking to League One.
In recent years, Charlton frequently change coaches, the current leader Horton took over the team at the end of last month, coaching four games with two wins, a draw and a loss, the last two games are even a winning streak. Against Manchester United, whether Charlton can create a "cold" miracle will undoubtedly become the focus.
