The Premier League cast-offs behind Charlotte FC's unexpected rise

Charlotte beat Columbus 2-0 last Saturday in front of a packed home crowd, rising up to seventh in the MLS East standings. While the game was marred by questionable refereeing decisions, Charlotte's victory was unquestionable. It was a wild turnaround for a club that ended 2023 with no trophies, no coach and no contracted designated players. 

What changed? Where did Charlotte get the momentum to defeat the best team in MLS?

Three key people stepped up: coach Dean Smith and midfielders Ashley Westwood and Scott Arfield. All three came to Charlotte with points to prove after difficult spells in the Premier League, and all three answered every question asked of them with lights-out performances this season.

Coach: Dean Smith

Dean Smith is easily the best-known member of Charlotte's Premier League trio. He's famous for his heroic stint at Aston Villa, where fans still hold him in high regard. He joined Villa when the club was 15th in the second division and led it to promotion, stability and success. His magic ran out during his third year with the club, but his impact on its trajectory was overwhelmingly positive.

Smith struggled to find his footing after the Villa gig, churning through roles at Norwich and Leicester City before deciding on Charlotte in December 2023. 

"I just feel the standard of the league, the MLS, is getting better and better," he said in a news conference. "My ambitions are to bring the MLS trophy here."

Smith got off to a bright start, casting off dead weight from Charlotte's lineup and encouraging the local faithful to pack the stadium for his team's 2024 home opener. They did just that, and over 60,000 fans watched as Charlotte beat NYCFC 1-0 to win the first game of the Dean Smith era.

Midfielder: Ashley Westwood

Westwood came to Charlotte last season, but he's broken out in 2024 under Smith's tutelage. The English midfielder came up through Aston Villa in the early 2010s before spending several years under Sean Dyche at Burnley. He's thrived in his first few matches of the season, bringing poise and elegance to Charlotte's once-scrappy midfield. It was his long-range goal that opened Charlotte's scoring against Columbus. 

Midfielder: Scott Arfield

Another Burnley veteran, Arfield came to Charlotte last summer after several years split between the Premier League and the Scottish Premiership. When he arrived, he was one of several experienced midfielders in Charlotte's lineup; today, after Smith's house cleaning, he's one of the oldest men on the team. ... Not that you'd know it from his pace. 

The 35-year-old has thrived in MLS and credits its physicality for helping him stay fit in the latter stages of his career. 

"When I speak to people back home, they probably don't think that this is a technical league," he said in an interview with WBTV. "They would be extremely disappointed if they came in this league thinking it was going to be easy, because the athleticism, the pace of the game, everyone is an absolute physical specimen."

Arfield's job this season has been simple: partner with Westwood just behind Charlotte's wingers to create opportunities for them and cover their runs when needed. He's done exactly that, and his movements have helped Charlotte score in all but one of its MLS games this season.