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One might forgive Oliver Glasner for preferring to spend a quiet period with his loved ones in Austria ahead of Christmas, instead of preparing for Crystal Palace's 29th match of the season—a League Cup last-eight clash with Arsenal. Yet, the suggestion that Palace might prioritize other tournaments was firmly rejected by their head coach.

"No, I do not believe that," declared Glasner following his team's side's 4-1 loss to Leeds. "If somebody tells me that we lose deliberately, the following day I'm no longer the manager anymore."

There exists a clear difference in Glasner's strategy to domestic cup competitions versus his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This initially became clear during Palace's run to the League Cup last eight in his debut full season in charge. Under Hodgson, the club had already been knocked out from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner selected his best lineup for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a encounter with Arsenal.

That previous last-eight tie ended in a three-two defeat at the Emirates Stadium, due to a rather debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having led at half-time. Now, Glasner now faces the task to devise a strategy for revenge against the current Premier League pace-setters in a fixture that was rescheduled to this week because of European obligations.

A Price of Success and European Fatigue

Glasner has, in a way, been a casualty of his own success. Guiding Palace to their maiden major trophy with a win in the FA Cup final subsequently ushered in the challenges of continental football for the first time. These demands are catching up with several exhausted squad members, many of whom have hardly had a rest all season.

The coach fielded an completely different lineup, including four teenagers, in their last Conference League fixture. However, ahead of the Arsenal game, he admitted he will have "no option" but to choose the majority of his preferred team, which looked extremely lethargic as they uncharacteristically conceded four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Must. Yes, have to," he affirmed.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Selection Considerations

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

Arteta had implemented several changes for that cup tie but was forced to introduce his "key players" following the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to assist Jesus for a crucial goal in a move that left Glasner "furious" over a potential offside, with no VAR available—a situation that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-game winning streak versus Palace, including 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 suffering a long-term knee injury, looks set to begin for the first time since then setback. Arteta disclosed the striker wrote a "beautiful" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We're accustomed to it," commented Arteta on the congested fixture list. "In my view this week was the only complete week we had to get ready. The period until February at least is will be like this. We have a beautiful chance to go into the semi-final of a competition so we will be prepared."

With important players coming back from injury and a determination to advance, Arsenal present a daunting test for a Palace side desperately in need of rejuvenation as the holiday schedule ramps up.