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You could forgive Oliver Glasner for preferring to enjoy a quiet period with his family in Austria ahead of Christmas, instead of gearing up for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth fixture of the season—a League Cup last-eight clash with Arsenal. Yet, the suggestion that Palace could prioritize other competitions was quickly dismissed by their manager.

"Absolutely not, I do not believe that," stated Glasner following his team's side's four-one hammering to Leeds. "Should somebody tells me that we lose on purpose, the following day I'm not the coach any more."

There is a marked difference in Glasner's strategy to cup tournaments compared to his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This first was evident during Palace's journey to the League Cup last eight in his first complete campaign in charge. Under Hodgson, the club had already been knocked out from each of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner picked his strongest team for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a showdown with Arsenal.

That prior quarter-final tie concluded in a 3-2 loss at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to a somewhat controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having led at the interval. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner now faces the task to figure out a plan for revenge versus the present Premier League leaders in a fixture that was moved to this week owing to European obligations.

A Cost of Achievement and Continental Exhaustion

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

The coach selected an completely changed side, including four youngsters, in their last Conference League match. However, for the Arsenal clash, he conceded he will have "no option" but to select the majority of his preferred side, which appeared decidedly lethargic as they uncharacteristically conceded four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Must. Yes, have to," he affirmed.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Team Considerations

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are different. The boss must juggle his ambition to win a second major trophy with considerable practicality. Last year, a muscle injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game versus Palace just days after their Carabao Cup fightback greatly harmed their title hopes.

Arteta had made several changes for that cup tie but was forced to bring on his "key players" after the break. Saka came off the bench to assist Jesus for a crucial goal in a move that left Glasner "incensed" over a potential offside, with no VAR in operation—a scenario that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-match unbeaten streak against 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 long-term knee injury, is expected to start for the first time since then injury. Arteta revealed the forward wrote a "beautiful" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We are used to it," commented Arteta on the busy schedule. "I think this week was the sole full week we had to get ready. The period until February at least is going to be similar. We have a wonderful opportunity to go into the semi-final of a competition so we will be ready."

Amid important players coming back from injury and a determination to progress, Arsenal present a formidable test for a Palace side urgently in need of a spark as the festive period intensifies.