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One might forgive Oliver Glasner for preferring to enjoy a quiet few days with his loved ones in Austria ahead of Christmas, rather than gearing up for Crystal Palace's 29th game of the campaign—a League Cup last-eight clash against Arsenal. Yet, the suggestion that Palace could focus on other tournaments was quickly dismissed by their head coach.

"Absolutely not, I do not believe that," stated Glasner after his team's side's 4-1 defeat to Leeds. "If somebody tells me that we lose deliberately, the next day I'm no longer the manager anymore."

There exists a marked contrast in Glasner's strategy to cup competitions compared to his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This initially became clear during Palace's journey to the Carabao Cup last eight in his first complete campaign in command. Under Hodgson, the team had previously been knocked out from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner picked his first-choice side for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a showdown with Arsenal.

That prior last-eight tie ended in a 3-2 defeat at the Emirates Stadium, following a rather controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having been ahead at the interval. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner now faces the task to devise a plan for revenge versus the current Premier League leaders in a fixture that was moved to this week owing to European commitments.

A Cost of Success and European Fatigue

Glasner has, in a sense, been a casualty of his own achievements. Leading Palace to their maiden major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final has ushered in the demands of European football for the first time. These pressures are catching up with some exhausted squad members, many of whom have hardly had a rest all season.

The manager selected an completely different lineup, including four teenagers, in their final Conference League match. Yet, for the Arsenal clash, he admitted he will have "no option" but to select the bulk of his first-choice team, which looked decidedly jaded as they unusually let in four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Have to. Yes, must," he affirmed.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Selection Considerations

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

Arteta had made several changes for that cup tie but was forced to introduce his "big-hitters" after the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to assist Jesus for a decisive goal in a move that left Glasner "furious" over a potential offside, with no VAR in operation—a scenario that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-match unbeaten run against 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 sustaining a serious knee injury, looks set to begin for the first since then setback. Arteta revealed the striker wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We are accustomed to it," said Arteta on the busy fixture list. "In my view this week was the sole complete week we had to get ready. The rest until February at least is will be similar. We have a beautiful chance to go into the last four of a tournament so we will be prepared."

With important players returning from injury and a determination to advance, Arsenal present a daunting challenge for a Palace side urgently in need of a spark as the festive schedule ramps up.