Having spent the latter months of last season wondering whether we would prefer to go to Tottenham or West Ham this season we find ourselves going to both stadiums in the space of a week.

Next week is going to be like a London tour of the past, the present and the future. Maybe we could even add in a Charles Dickens kind of future-that-might-have-been feeling. After all, it could have been so different for all concerned if Premier League endings had played out in another way.

First comes a trip through the tunnel to face West Ham United at the London Stadium on Saturday. Then, in midweek, we travel north to take on Tottenham Hotspur. Two London derbies. Two formidable opponents and, strangely, two clubs whose histories intersect with Charlton’s final days as a Premier League side almost twenty years ago.

Just three months ago both opponents were still Premier League clubs. West Ham ultimately suffered relegation, while Tottenham survived and have since strengthened considerably. That makes both games tough but maybe timely tests for Charlton. And it's important to remember too that London derbies have a habit of producing the unexpected, as do any derby games at any level.

The Hammers will certainly expect their stay in the Championship to be a short one. They have kept faith with Nuno Espírito Santo and, although they have parted company with Mateus Fernandes, Crysencio Summerville and Callum Wilson they have retained the important figureheads of captain Jarrod Bowen and midfielder Tomáš Souček. They are also strengthened by the arrivals of Joël Veltman (Brighton), Manor Solomon (Tottenham) and EFL record signing (£22m) Arne Engels from Celtic. Joel Piroe has come in on loan from Leeds but Aaron Wan-Bissaka looks set to join Aston Villa on loan this week - no doubt keen to avoid facing Tyreece Campbell on Saturday.

Nuno himself knows exactly what it takes to get out of the Championship. During his time at Wolverhampton Wanderers, he guided his team to the title in 2017–18 - accumulating 99 points in the process. For that reason alone, West Ham are likely to be among the favourites for promotion. Perhaps, though, there is an argument that this is a good time for Charlton to face them. Relegation remains fresh in the minds of West Ham supporters and players. Nuno is still shaping his team for the particular demands of Championship football. After they surrendered a two goal lead at Burnley last weekend there was plenty of dissatisfaction from their fans:

"Same old, same old! This should have been in the bag with 15 minutes to go. Poor substitutions and there you go. Underwhelming."

"We looked like the side that got relegated. Nothing has changed for us. A lot of changes are needed - a new centre back is desperately required I would say or it will be a long season with no outcome."

Meanwhile Charlton can approach the London Stadium with confidence after last weekend’s victory over Derby County.

Many will expect Nathan Jones to switch system and play a back three against West Ham. Doing so might make his side harder to break down but it would remove all attacking threat. Tyreece Campbell looks a menace on the left wing and Karlan Grant keeps popping up in dangerous areas. West Ham seem likely to play a 442 and our 4231 should provide overloads in central areas, especially as on the ball Lewis Orford is likely to drop into the midfield to create a three man back line so that the fullbacks can push forward. The Charlton wingers will need to be mindful of their defensive duties but have the chance to use their pace to become a real threat.

The year we were relegated from the Premier League we beat them 4-0 on Alan Curbishley's return home (!) but that same season, Tottenham left us with a more painful memory. When they visited The Valley in May a 2–0 Spurs victory mathematically confirmed relegation and brought our seven year stay in the Premier League to an end.

We have met them since - in January 2011 they beat us 3-0 in the FA Cup at White Hart Lane. There will undoubtedly be people expecting a similar scoreline when we make the trip up there on Wednesday. On paper, it is easy to understand why. Last season, many Charlton supporters might have looked at Tottenham's struggles and wondered whether the clubs could somehow find themselves much closer together this year. Instead, Tottenham survived and the squad beginning this campaign looks stronger than the one that finished the previous season.

Roberto De Zerbi has now had time to put his stamp on the club. Sandro Tonali has arrived from Newcastle United, Mateus Fernandes from West Ham and Jan Paul van Hecke has strengthened the defence, whilst other summer business has included the former Liverpool star Andy Robertson who still has much to offer at the game's highest levels. That makes the second of Charlton's two London assignments particularly daunting. But perhaps that sense of going in as underdogs is also what makes these games exciting.

We're often at our best when nobody expects us to get anything. And if there is one thing history teaches us about London derbies, it is that they do not always behave as expected. Maybe this will be a season characterised by achievements in London derbies. Good results here would be a great prelude to another more local derby looming on the 26/27 league horizon.

Nathan Jones is realistic. "We know it's going to be a tough week - we’re going to be stretched - and we’ll have to be at our best to compete with all three teams for different reasons. But it is wonderful. Those are the weeks you look forward to. They are the challenges you have to face and we will be right up for it."