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You could forgive Oliver Glasner for wishing to enjoy a quiet period with his loved ones in Austria before Christmas, rather than gearing up for Crystal Palace's 29th game of the season—a League Cup last-eight clash against Arsenal. However, the notion that Palace might prioritize other tournaments was swiftly dismissed by their boss.

"No, I do not believe that," remarked Glasner after his team's side's 4-1 loss to Leeds. "Should somebody informs me that we are defeated on purpose, the next day I'm no longer the coach anymore."

There is a marked difference in Glasner's strategy to cup competitions versus his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This first became clear during Palace's journey to the League Cup quarter-finals in his debut full season in command. Under Hodgson, the club had already been knocked out from each of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner fielded his strongest side for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a showdown with Arsenal.

That prior quarter-final match concluded in a 3-2 loss at the Emirates Stadium, following a rather controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having been ahead at half-time. Now, Glasner now faces the task to figure out a plan for payback against the current Premier League leaders in a fixture that was rescheduled to this week owing to European commitments.

A Price of Achievement and European Exhaustion

Glasner has, in a sense, been a victim of his own achievements. Guiding Palace to their first major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final has brought the rigors of European football for the first time. These demands are catching up with several weary players, many of whom have barely enjoyed a rest all season.

The manager fielded an entirely changed team, featuring four teenagers, in their final Conference League match. Yet, for the Arsenal clash, he conceded he will have "no option" but to choose the majority of his preferred side, which appeared decidedly lethargic as they uncharacteristically let in four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Have to. Yes, must," he affirmed.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Selection Considerations

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are distinct. The boss must balance his desire to win a another major trophy with considerable practicality. Last year, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game against Palace just days after their Carabao Cup fightback greatly damaged their title hopes.

Arteta had implemented several changes for that League Cup match but was forced to bring on his "big-hitters" after the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to assist Jesus for a crucial goal in a passage of play that left Glasner "incensed" over a potential offside, with no VAR available—a situation that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-match winning streak versus Palace, featuring seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup encounter and two in a subsequent league win before suffering a serious knee injury, looks set to start for the first since then injury. Arteta revealed the striker wrote a "beautiful" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We are accustomed to it," commented Arteta on the congested fixture list. "In my view this week was the sole full week we had to prepare. The rest until February at least is will be similar. We have a wonderful opportunity to go into the last four of a tournament so we will be ready."

Amid key players returning from injury and a determination to advance, Arsenal present a formidable challenge for a Crystal Palace side desperately in need of rejuvenation as the festive schedule ramps up.