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One might forgive Oliver Glasner for wishing to enjoy a quiet few days with his loved ones in Austria ahead of Christmas, rather than preparing for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth match of the campaign—a Carabao Cup last-eight clash against Arsenal. However, the notion that Palace could prioritize other competitions was firmly rejected by their head coach.

"No, I do not believe that," remarked Glasner following his team's side's four-one defeat to Leeds. "Should somebody informs me that we lose deliberately, the next day I'm no longer the coach anymore."

There exists a stark contrast in Glasner's approach to cup tournaments relative to his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This first was evident during Palace's run to the League Cup quarter-finals in his debut complete campaign in command. Under Hodgson, the club had previously been eliminated from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner selected his first-choice team for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a showdown with Arsenal.

That prior last-eight tie ended in a three-two loss at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to a slightly controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having been ahead at the interval. Now, Glasner now faces the task to devise a strategy for revenge against the present Premier League pace-setters in a match that was rescheduled to this week because of European obligations.

A Cost of Achievement and European Fatigue

Glasner has, in a way, been a casualty of his own success. Guiding Palace to their maiden major trophy with a win in the FA Cup final subsequently ushered in the demands of European football for the very first time. These pressures are catching up with some fatigued squad members, many of whom have barely enjoyed a break all term.

The manager selected an completely different lineup, including four teenagers, in their final Conference League match. However, ahead of the Arsenal game, he admitted he will have "little choice" but to choose the bulk of his first-choice team, which appeared extremely lethargic as they unusually conceded four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Have to. Yes, must," he affirmed.

Arsenal's Perspective and Selection Dilemmas

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are distinct. The boss must juggle his ambition to win a second major trophy with extreme pragmatism. Last year, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka suffered in a league game versus Palace only days after their Carabao Cup fightback greatly damaged their title hopes.

Arteta had implemented a number of changes for that cup tie but was forced to bring on his "key players" following the break. Saka came off the bench to assist Jesus for a decisive goal in a passage of play that left Glasner "furious" over a potential offside, with no VAR available—a situation that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-match unbeaten run versus Palace, featuring seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup meeting and two in a subsequent league win before suffering a long-term knee injury, looks set to begin for the first time since then setback. Arteta revealed the forward wrote a "beautiful" letter to his teammates about what football means to him.

"We're used to it," said Arteta on the congested schedule. "In my view this week was the only full week we had to prepare. The rest until February at least is will be like this. We have a wonderful opportunity to go into the semi-final of a tournament so we will be prepared."

Amid key players returning from injury and a determination to progress, Arsenal present a daunting challenge for a Crystal Palace side desperately in need of rejuvenation as the holiday period ramps up.