Arne Engels’ set-piece delivery gave West Ham a route back into their Carabao Cup tie against Fulham.
Morato supplied the finish and Konstantinos Mavropanos the final header across goal. However, Engels’ contribution helped create the opening.
The Belgian’s delivery during the sequence offered an encouraging detail for Nuno Espírito Santo despite Tuesday’s 3–2 defeat.
It also demonstrated why judging a midfielder solely on goals and assists can miss an important part of his contribution.
Arne Engels keeps West Ham’s set-piece threat alive
The sequence leading to Morato’s equaliser involved a free-kick, a corner and another delivery after the initial clearance.
Engels kept the attack alive, finding Mavropanos towards the far post. The defender headed across goal for Morato to finish.
Sam Parkin praised the quality of the service during commentary, describing “three wicked deliveries”, as reported by West Ham Zone.
The crucial detail was the renewed delivery after Fulham had dealt with the corner.
Clearing the first ball did not end the danger. Engels regained an opportunity to cross while West Ham still had targets inside the penalty area.
Mavropanos then redirected the attack across goal, giving Morato a close-range opportunity.
That combination matters: delivery, movement and the decision to head back across the box all contributed.
Why the second phase matters for Nuno
For West Ham, the value lies in sustaining pressure beyond the initial set piece.
A cleared corner can become a lost opportunity if the attacking side allows opponents to push out and reorganise.
Here, Engels helped turn the clearance into another attacking phase while Mavropanos and Morato remained involved.
His contribution builds on the responsibility he embraced when making his earlier London Stadium promise to West Ham supporters.
The wider tactical lesson is an additional route to goal when open-play attacks stall. Accurate service gives West Ham’s aerial targets an opportunity to influence matches.
An encouraging sequence, rather than a finished formula
One goal cannot establish that West Ham have become an elite set-piece side. That requires evidence across several matches.
Tuesday nevertheless provided a clear example of what Engels can offer.
The same match also exposed problems elsewhere, with Fulham ultimately finding a winner after West Ham twice equalised.
Our pre-match tactical analysis of Fulham examined the challenge posed by the visitors.
For Nuno, improving those defensive outcomes remains essential. At the other end, Engels’ delivery offers a useful attacking pattern to develop.
