LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 15: Cesar Palacios of Fulham celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the Carabao Cup Third Round match between West Ham United and Fulham at London Stadium on September 15, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
It’s currently half-time in the Elche - Real Madrid game, but that doesn’t mean we’re not keeping tabs on other players under the Real Madrid umbrella.
With a heavy schedule, and coming off a draw against Liverpool at Anfield just three days ago, Fulham manager Alvaro Arbeloa rotated a bit for today’s EFL Cup third round game vs West Ham. Gonzalo Garcia, who started against Liverpool, rested today as Rodrigo Muniz took his place. Cesar Palacios, meanwhile, who didn’t start against Liverpool, started today.
Palacios was unplayable. Yes, he did score and did have an assist in the 2 - 3 win away at London Stadium, but it was his composure and elegance that stole the show.
Deployed in the left half-space, Palacios floated in multiple positions to help his team escape pressure while pulling strings in the final third. He was quick and silky with his touches, always looking to play quick 1-2s with his teammates and taking minimal touches to play through-passes.
He opened the game with an assist to Muniz:
Then, in the 37th minute, he received a ball over the top and took a perfect first touch before slotting in a goal at the far post:
In the 93rd minute, Palacios had the opportunity to ice the game with a big chance, but ultimately took too long to shoot, and the angle closed on him.
Meanwhile, Manuel Angel made his debut off the bench, Gonzalo Garcia replaced Muniz in the 68th minute, and Franco Mastantuono played 60 minutes in Fiorentina’s match vs Pisa.