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One might forgive Oliver Glasner for preferring to enjoy a quiet few days with his family in Austria ahead of Christmas, instead of preparing for Crystal Palace's 29th match of the campaign—a League Cup quarter-final with Arsenal. However, the suggestion that Palace might focus on other competitions was quickly rejected by their boss.

"No, I don't think so," stated Glasner after his team's side's four-one loss to Leeds. "If anyone informs me that we are defeated on purpose, the next day I'm no longer the coach any more."

There is a marked difference in Glasner's philosophy to cup tournaments versus his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This initially became clear during Palace's journey to the League Cup quarter-finals in his first 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 assumed control at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner selected his best team for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a encounter with Arsenal.

That prior last-eight tie concluded in a 3-2 loss at the Emirates Stadium, due to a rather controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having been ahead at the interval. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner must devise a strategy for revenge against the present Premier League pace-setters in a fixture that was moved to this week because of European obligations.

The Price of Success and Continental Fatigue

Glasner has, in a sense, been a casualty of his own achievements. Guiding Palace to their first major trophy with a win in the FA Cup final subsequently brought the rigors of European football for the first time. These pressures are taking a toll on some weary players, many of whom have hardly had a break all season.

The manager selected an completely different side, featuring four teenagers, in their final Conference League fixture. Yet, for the Arsenal game, he conceded he will have "no option" but to pick the majority of his first-choice side, which appeared extremely jaded as they unusually conceded four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Must. Yes, must," he stated.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Selection Considerations

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are different. The manager must balance his ambition to win a another major trophy with considerable pragmatism. Last year, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka suffered in a league game versus Palace just days after their Carabao Cup fightback significantly harmed their title hopes.

Arteta had implemented several changes for that cup tie but was compelled to bring on his "key players" after the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to assist Jesus for a crucial goal in a passage of play that left Glasner "incensed" over a potential offside, with no VAR in operation—a situation that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-game unbeaten run versus 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 sustaining a serious knee injury, looks set to begin for the first since that injury. Arteta revealed the forward wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We're accustomed to it," commented Arteta on the busy schedule. "I think this week was the only complete week we had to prepare. The period until February at least is will be similar. We have a beautiful opportunity to go into the last four of a competition so we will be prepared."

Amid key players returning from injury and a desire to advance, Arsenal present a daunting test for a Crystal Palace side urgently in need of rejuvenation as the festive period intensifies.