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One might forgive Oliver Glasner for preferring to spend a quiet few days with his loved ones in Austria before Christmas, instead of gearing up for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth game of the campaign—a Carabao Cup quarter-final against Arsenal. Yet, the suggestion that Palace might prioritize other competitions was swiftly rejected by their manager.

"No, I do not believe that," remarked Glasner following his team's side's 4-1 hammering to Leeds. "Should anyone informs me that we lose on purpose, the next day I'm no longer the manager any more."

There exists a marked difference in Glasner's strategy to cup competitions relative to his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This first became clear during Palace's run to the League Cup last eight in his first complete campaign in command. Under Hodgson, the club had previously been knocked out from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner selected his best side for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a encounter with Arsenal.

That prior quarter-final match concluded in a 3-2 defeat at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to a slightly debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having led at half-time. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner now faces the task to figure out a plan for payback against the current Premier League leaders in a match that was moved to this week because of European commitments.

The Price of Success and European Exhaustion

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

The coach deployed an entirely changed lineup, including four youngsters, in their last Conference League fixture. However, ahead of the Arsenal game, he conceded he will have "no option" but to pick the majority of his preferred team, which looked decidedly lethargic as they uncharacteristically let in four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Must. Yes, have to," he affirmed.

The Gunners' Viewpoint and Selection Dilemmas

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are different. The boss must balance his ambition to win a second major trophy with considerable pragmatism. Last year, a muscle injury to Bukayo Saka suffered in a league game against Palace only days after their Carabao Cup fightback greatly damaged their title hopes.

Arteta had made a number of changes for that League Cup tie but was compelled to bring on his "key players" following the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to set up Jesus for a decisive goal in a move that left Glasner "incensed" over a potential offside, with no VAR in operation—a scenario that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-game unbeaten streak versus Palace, including seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in last season's League Cup meeting and a brace in a later league win before suffering a long-term knee injury, is expected to start for the first since then injury. Arteta revealed the forward wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football means to him.

"We are used to it," commented Arteta on the congested schedule. "I think this week was the only complete week we had to get ready. The rest until February at least is going to be similar. We have a beautiful chance to go into the last four of a competition so we will be ready."

With key players returning from injury and a desire to advance, Arsenal present a daunting test for a Crystal Palace side urgently in need of a spark as the holiday schedule ramps up.