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You could excuse Oliver Glasner for preferring to spend a restful few days with his loved ones in Austria before Christmas, rather than gearing up for Crystal Palace's 29th match of the season—a Carabao Cup last-eight clash against Arsenal. However, the suggestion that Palace might focus on other competitions was firmly rejected by their boss.

"No, I don't think so," stated Glasner after his team's side's 4-1 defeat to Leeds. "If anyone tells me that we are defeated on purpose, the following day I'm not the manager anymore."

There exists a clear difference in Glasner's philosophy to domestic cup tournaments compared to his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This initially became clear during Palace's run to the League Cup last eight in his debut complete campaign in charge. Under Hodgson, the team had previously been knocked out from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner fielded his first-choice side for wins 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, due to a somewhat debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having been ahead at half-time. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner now faces the task to figure out a plan for revenge versus the present Premier League pace-setters in a fixture that was rescheduled to this week owing to European obligations.

The Price of Achievement and Continental Exhaustion

Glasner has, in a sense, been a victim of his own success. Guiding Palace to their first major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final subsequently ushered in the challenges of European football for the very first time. These demands are taking a toll on some exhausted players, many of whom have barely enjoyed a rest all term.

The manager deployed an entirely changed side, featuring four youngsters, in their last Conference League fixture. Yet, for the Arsenal game, he conceded he will have "no option" but to pick the bulk of his preferred team, which looked decidedly jaded as they unusually let in four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Have to. Yes, have to," he stated.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Selection Considerations

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are distinct. The manager must balance his ambition to win a another major trophy with extreme pragmatism. Last year, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game against Palace only days after their Carabao Cup fightback greatly harmed their title hopes.

Arteta had implemented several changes for that League Cup match but was forced to bring on his "big-hitters" following the break. Saka came off 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 repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-game unbeaten run versus Palace, including seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in last season's League Cup encounter and two in a later league win before suffering a long-term knee injury, looks set to begin for the first since then setback. Arteta disclosed the striker wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football means to him.

"We are accustomed to it," said Arteta on the congested schedule. "In my view this week was the sole complete week we had to get ready. The period until February at least is going to be like this. We have a wonderful chance to go into the semi-final of a tournament so we will be ready."

With important players coming back from injury and a desire to advance, Arsenal present a formidable challenge for a Crystal Palace side desperately in need of a spark as the holiday schedule intensifies.