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One might 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 29th match of the season—a League Cup quarter-final against Arsenal. Yet, the suggestion that Palace might prioritize other tournaments was swiftly rejected by their head coach.

"Absolutely not, I don't think so," stated Glasner after his team's side's 4-1 defeat to Leeds. "If anyone informs me that we are defeated deliberately, the next day I'm no longer the manager any more."

There exists a clear contrast in Glasner's approach to cup competitions compared to his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This initially was evident during Palace's journey to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals in his debut full season in command. Under Hodgson, the club had already been eliminated from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner fielded his strongest lineup for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a showdown with Arsenal.

That prior last-eight match concluded in a 3-2 defeat at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to a rather controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having led at the interval. Now, Glasner now faces the task to figure out a strategy for revenge against the current Premier League leaders in a fixture 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. Leading Palace to their maiden major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final has ushered in the challenges of continental football for the very first time. These pressures are catching up with several fatigued squad members, many of whom have barely had a rest all term.

The manager deployed an completely different team, featuring four teenagers, in their final Conference League fixture. Yet, ahead of the Arsenal game, he admitted he will have "little choice" but to pick the bulk of his first-choice team, which appeared extremely lethargic as they unusually conceded four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Must. Yes, must," he said.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Selection Dilemmas

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are distinct. The boss must juggle his ambition to win a second major trophy with considerable practicality. The previous season, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game against Palace only days after their Carabao Cup comeback significantly damaged their title hopes.

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

Arsenal are on an eight-match winning run against Palace, including seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in last season's League Cup encounter and two in a subsequent league win before sustaining a serious knee injury, looks set to start for the first since that injury. Arteta revealed the forward wrote a "beautiful" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We're accustomed to it," commented Arteta on the busy schedule. "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 competition so we will be prepared."

With important players returning from injury and a desire to progress, Arsenal pose a formidable test for a Palace side urgently in need of rejuvenation as the festive period ramps up.