Jarrod Bowen has gone to extreme lengths to keep his place as West Ham’s penalty taker after his costly miss against QPR, but Hammers News understands Nuno Espirito Santo has already decided who will take the next spot-kick.

Hammers captain Jarrod Bowen has once again demonstrated his dedication to the club by bringing in analysts to work on his penalty technique after his stoppage-time miss against QPR cost West Ham two precious points.

According to West Ham insider ExWHUemployee, Bowen has made the call as he looks to improve his success rate from 12 yards.

But while the skipper works on his technique, Hammers News can reveal Nuno Espirito Santo has another option in mind for the immediate future.

Bowen takes action after costly West Ham penalty miss

Penalty misses have already cost West Ham three points in their opening 10 Championship games this season. Had those opportunities been converted, the Hammers would be just one point behind leaders Swansea ahead of their crucial meeting in Wales.

The implications could be even greater over the course of a full campaign. In a promotion race as tight as this one, missed penalties could ultimately be the difference between automatic promotion and the lottery of the play-offs.

That makes Nuno’s decision on his penalty taker particularly important.

Bowen has been one of West Ham’s most loyal servants since arriving in January 2020 and has continued to lead by example following relegation. His determination to improve after the QPR disappointment is another illustration of his commitment to the cause.

But even the captain cannot expect to retain the responsibility indefinitely if his misses continue to cost the team points.

Hammers News understands from a source inside West Ham that Nuno has settled on Arne Engels as the next player likely to step up from the spot, at least while Bowen works with analysts to refine his technique.

The decision would make considerable sense given the Belgian midfielder’s outstanding penalty record.

Engels scored all 10 of his penalties for Celtic last season, including one in a title decider, demonstrating that he can handle the pressure when the stakes are highest.

Nuno turns to Engels for West Ham penalties

For a player still at a relatively early stage of his career, that is an impressive record. His consistency from 12 yards makes him a natural candidate to take over at West Ham, particularly with promotion points already slipping away.

The surprising part is that Engels was not more firmly considered for the role from the beginning of the season.

Nuno previously admitted he did not know who should be taking West Ham’s penalties after Taty Castellanos missed a late spot-kick against Charlton. That uncertainty was exposed again when Bowen failed to convert against QPR.

The manager now appears to have recognised that the situation needs a clearer solution.

Engels also has a variety of preferred placements from the penalty spot, making it more difficult for goalkeepers to anticipate where he will put the ball.

That unpredictability, combined with his record under extreme pressure at Celtic, gives West Ham a strong alternative while Bowen works on the weaknesses in his technique.

There is no suggestion that Bowen’s ability to take spot kicks in the future is in question. He remains captain and one of the club’s most important players and will be back in the mix when he feels comfortable.

Bowen’s decision to bring in specialists shows he is determined to fight for the role rather than simply accept losing it. Nuno, however, has a promotion campaign to protect, and he cannot afford to let it become a recurring and costly issue. Especially as West Ham’s two prior misses pile more pressure on Bowen if he were to take the next one.

For now, Engels looks set to get the opportunity to prove that his remarkable record can translate into success for the Hammers.