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You could forgive Oliver Glasner for wishing to enjoy a restful few days with his loved ones in Austria before Christmas, instead of gearing up for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth fixture of the campaign—a League Cup quarter-final with Arsenal. However, the idea that Palace could focus on other tournaments was firmly rejected by their boss.

"No, I don't think so," declared Glasner after his team's side's four-one defeat to Leeds. "Should anyone informs me that we are defeated deliberately, the next day I'm no longer the manager anymore."

There is a stark difference in Glasner's approach to cup competitions versus his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This first was evident during Palace's run to the League Cup last eight in his debut full season in command. Under Hodgson, the team had already been eliminated from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner fielded his strongest team for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a encounter with Arsenal.

That prior quarter-final match concluded in a three-two 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 pace-setters in a match that was rescheduled to this week because of European obligations.

A Price of Achievement and European Fatigue

Glasner has, in a sense, been a casualty of his own success. Leading Palace to their first major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final subsequently brought the challenges of European football for the very first time. These pressures are catching up with several weary players, many of whom have hardly had a break all term.

The coach selected an entirely changed lineup, featuring four youngsters, in their last Conference League match. Yet, for the Arsenal game, he admitted he will have "no option" but to select the bulk of his first-choice side, which appeared extremely jaded as they unusually let in four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Have to. Yes, must," he affirmed.

Arsenal's Perspective and Selection Dilemmas

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are distinct. The boss must balance his desire to win a another major trophy with extreme pragmatism. The previous season, a muscle injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game versus Palace only days after their Carabao Cup comeback significantly damaged their title aspirations.

Arteta had made several changes for that cup tie but was compelled to bring on his "key players" following the break. Saka came off the bench to assist Jesus for a decisive goal in a passage of play that left Glasner "incensed" over a possible offside, with no VAR available—a situation that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-game winning run versus Palace, including seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup meeting and a brace in a subsequent league win before sustaining a serious knee injury, looks set to begin for the first since that setback. Arteta disclosed the striker wrote a "beautiful" letter to his teammates about what football means to him.

"We are accustomed to it," said 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 similar. We have a wonderful chance to go into the last four of a tournament so we will be prepared."

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