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You could forgive Oliver Glasner for preferring to spend a restful few days with his family in Austria before Christmas, instead of gearing up for Crystal Palace's 29th match of the campaign—a League Cup last-eight clash with Arsenal. Yet, the suggestion that Palace might focus on other competitions was firmly dismissed by their manager.

"Absolutely not, I don't think so," remarked Glasner after his team's side's 4-1 hammering to Leeds. "Should anyone informs me that we are defeated deliberately, the next day I'm no longer the coach anymore."

There exists a marked contrast in Glasner's approach to cup competitions compared to his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This initially was evident during Palace's run to the League Cup quarter-finals in his debut full season in command. Under Hodgson, the team had previously been knocked out from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner fielded his first-choice side for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a showdown with Arsenal.

That previous last-eight match ended in a 3-2 loss at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to a slightly controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having been ahead at half-time. Now, Glasner now faces the task to figure out a strategy for payback against the current Premier League leaders in a match that was rescheduled to this week because of European commitments.

A Price of Success and Continental Exhaustion

Glasner has, in a sense, been a casualty of his own success. Guiding Palace to their maiden major trophy with a win in the FA Cup final subsequently brought the demands of European football for the very first time. These demands are catching up with some exhausted players, many of whom have barely enjoyed a break all season.

The manager selected an entirely different lineup, featuring four teenagers, in their final Conference League fixture. However, ahead of the Arsenal clash, he conceded he will have "no option" but to choose the bulk of his first-choice team, which looked extremely lethargic as they uncharacteristically let in four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Must. Yes, have to," he stated.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Selection Considerations

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are distinct. The manager must juggle his ambition to win a another major trophy with extreme practicality. Last year, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka suffered in a league game versus Palace just days after their Carabao Cup comeback greatly harmed their title hopes.

Arteta had made several changes for that League Cup tie but was compelled to bring on his "big-hitters" after the break. Saka came off the bench to assist Jesus for a crucial goal in a move that left Glasner "incensed" over a possible offside, with no VAR available—a scenario that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-game unbeaten run versus Palace, featuring seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup meeting and a brace in a later league win before suffering a serious knee injury, is expected to start for the first since then injury. 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 busy fixture list. "In my view this week was the sole complete week we had to get ready. The rest until February at least is will be like this. We have a beautiful opportunity to go into the semi-final of a competition so we will be prepared."

With key players coming back from injury and a desire to advance, Arsenal pose a daunting test for a Palace side desperately in need of a spark as the festive schedule intensifies.