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One might forgive Oliver Glasner for wishing to enjoy a restful few days with his loved ones in Austria ahead of Christmas, instead of gearing up for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth match of the season—a League Cup quarter-final with Arsenal. However, the notion that Palace might prioritize other tournaments was firmly dismissed by their head coach.

"Absolutely not, I do not believe that," declared Glasner following his team's side's four-one loss to Leeds. "If somebody informs me that we are defeated on purpose, the following day I'm no longer the coach anymore."

There exists a marked difference in Glasner's strategy to cup tournaments relative to his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This first was evident during Palace's journey to the League Cup quarter-finals 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 assumed control at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner picked his best side for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a encounter with Arsenal.

That previous last-eight match ended in a three-two defeat at the Emirates Stadium, following a somewhat debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having been ahead at the interval. Now, Glasner now faces the task to devise a plan for payback versus the present Premier League leaders in a fixture that was rescheduled to this week owing to European obligations.

The Cost of Success and Continental Exhaustion

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

The manager selected an completely changed side, featuring four teenagers, in their last Conference League match. However, ahead of the Arsenal game, he conceded he will have "no option" but to select the bulk of his first-choice side, which looked extremely jaded as they uncharacteristically let in four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Have to. Yes, have to," he said.

The Gunners' Viewpoint and Team Considerations

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

Arteta had made a number of changes for that cup tie but was compelled to introduce his "big-hitters" after the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to assist Jesus for a crucial goal in a passage of play that left Glasner "furious" over a possible offside, with no VAR available—a situation that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-match winning streak against Palace, including seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup meeting and a brace in a subsequent league win before suffering a long-term knee injury, is expected to begin for the first since then injury. Arteta disclosed the striker wrote a "beautiful" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We are used to it," commented Arteta on the congested fixture list. "In my view this week was the sole complete week we had to prepare. The rest 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 prepared."

Amid important players returning from injury and a desire to advance, Arsenal pose a daunting challenge for a Crystal Palace side desperately in need of rejuvenation as the festive period intensifies.