---
title: "West Ham star Arne Engels earns ‘world-class’ verdict"
canonical: "https://readwestham.com/2026/09/10/arne-engels-world-class-west-ham-bolton/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "James Chettle"
section: "West Ham News"
published: "2026-09-10T06:15:00Z"
modified: "2026-09-22T17:27:50Z"
---

# West Ham star Arne Engels earns ‘world-class’ verdict

Arne Engels has earned a “world-class” verdict after another influential performance for West Ham United.

The Belgium international supplied the assist for Konstantinos Mavropanos’ equaliser during Tuesday night’s 3-2 Championship victory over Bolton Wanderers.

West Ham had fallen 2-1 behind before Engels curled a dangerous free-kick towards the back post, where Mavropanos headed beyond Gavin Bazunu.

Speaking during Sky Sports’ live coverage, former Wolves midfielder Dave Edwards said:

> “This goal is all about Engels. It’s a fantastic delivery; world-class.”

Edwards highlighted the pace and trajectory of the delivery, which left Bolton with little opportunity to prevent Mavropanos reaching the ball.

> Jarrod Bowen and Arne Engels have created more chances than ANY other players in the Championship this season. 🔥\
> \
> 🥇 Jarrod Bowen (16)\
> 🥈 Arne Engels (14)\
> \
> These two could cause some serious damage in the Championship this season. ⚒️ [pic.twitter.com/tMgBmMgZDT](https://t.co/tMgBmMgZDT)
>
> — Hammers Hub (@HammersHubWHUFC) [September 6, 2026](https://x.com/HammersHubWHUFC/status/2096611319965188588?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

## Mavropanos praises Arne Engels delivery

Mavropanos has now offered his own assessment of the midfielder’s set-piece quality.

Speaking after the victory, the West Ham defender said:

> “Set-pieces are things we work really hard on.”

He then praised Engels directly, saying the Belgian has **“great delivery”** from dead-ball situations.

That quality is becoming increasingly important for Nuno Espírito Santo.

Engels arrived from Celtic during the summer for a Championship-record fee and has quickly become a regular in the West Ham midfield.

West Ham’s [official Engels profile](https://www.whufc.com/en/teams/mens-team/arne-engels?utm_source=chatgpt.com) describes him as a set-piece specialist and confirms he produced 39 direct goal involvements in 100 appearances for Celtic.

## Engels becoming key player for West Ham

The numbers from our own site suggest this is no isolated performance.

ReadWestHam highlighted Engels’ growing influence alongside Divine Mukasa after the [3-0 victory over Derby County](https://readwestham.com/2026/09/05/how-arne-engels-and-divine-mukasa-solved-nunos-biggest-west-ham-problem/).

He followed that display by creating one of West Ham’s most important moments at Bolton.

Our [player ratings from the 3-2 victory](https://readwestham.com/2026/09/08/west-ham-player-ratings-vs-bolton/) also highlighted another productive night from the midfielder.

Engels has only been at London Stadium for a matter of weeks, but his ability to dictate possession and create opportunities from set-pieces is already giving Nuno another major weapon.

Friday’s clash with Wrexham offers him another opportunity to underline that growing influence.