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You could forgive Oliver Glasner for wishing to enjoy a quiet few days with his loved ones in Austria ahead of Christmas, instead of preparing for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth match of the season—a League Cup last-eight clash against Arsenal. Yet, the notion that Palace might focus on other competitions was firmly dismissed by their manager.

"Absolutely not, I don't think so," stated Glasner following his team's side's 4-1 hammering to Leeds. "Should anyone informs me that we are defeated deliberately, the following day I'm no longer the coach any more."

There exists a stark difference in Glasner's approach to cup tournaments relative to his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This first was evident during Palace's run to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals in his debut full season in charge. Under Hodgson, the club had previously been knocked out from each of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner selected his best team for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a encounter with Arsenal.

That previous quarter-final tie concluded in a 3-2 loss at the Emirates Stadium, following a somewhat debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having been ahead at the interval. Now, Glasner must figure out a strategy for revenge against the present Premier League pace-setters in a fixture that was rescheduled to this week owing to European commitments.

The Price of Achievement and European Fatigue

Glasner has, in a way, been a victim of his own achievements. Leading Palace to their maiden major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final subsequently brought the challenges of continental football for the very first time. These pressures are taking a toll on some weary players, many of whom have barely had a rest all season.

The coach deployed an completely different team, including four youngsters, in their final Conference League match. However, for the Arsenal game, he admitted he will have "no option" but to choose the majority of his first-choice team, which looked decidedly lethargic as they unusually conceded four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Have to. Yes, have to," he stated.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Team Dilemmas

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are distinct. The manager must juggle his ambition to win a second major trophy with considerable pragmatism. Last year, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game versus Palace only days after their Carabao Cup fightback greatly harmed their title hopes.

Arteta had implemented a number of changes for that cup match but was compelled to bring on his "key players" following the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to assist Jesus for a decisive goal in a move that left Glasner "furious" over a possible offside, with no VAR available—a scenario that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-game unbeaten run against Palace, featuring seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in last season's League Cup meeting and two in a subsequent league win before suffering a serious knee injury, looks set to start for the first time since then setback. Arteta disclosed the forward wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We are used to it," said Arteta on the busy fixture list. "In my view this week was the sole complete week we had to prepare. The rest until February at least is will be similar. We have a beautiful chance to go into the semi-final of a competition so we will be prepared."

Amid important players returning from injury and a desire to advance, Arsenal present a daunting challenge for a Palace side urgently in need of a spark as the festive period intensifies.