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You could excuse Oliver Glasner for wishing to spend a quiet period with his loved ones in Austria before Christmas, rather than preparing for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth game of the season—a League Cup last-eight clash with Arsenal. Yet, the idea that Palace could prioritize other competitions was firmly dismissed by their head coach.

"No, I don't think so," remarked Glasner following his team's side's four-one loss to Leeds. "Should somebody informs me that we are defeated deliberately, the next day I'm no longer the manager anymore."

There is a stark contrast in Glasner's approach to cup competitions compared to his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This first was evident during Palace's journey to the Carabao Cup last eight 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 by the time Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner picked his first-choice lineup for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a showdown with Arsenal.

That prior last-eight match ended in a 3-2 defeat at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to a somewhat debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having been ahead at half-time. Now, Glasner now faces the task to devise a plan for payback against the present Premier League leaders in a fixture that was moved to this week because of European obligations.

The Cost of Success and European Fatigue

Glasner has, in a way, been a victim of his own success. Leading Palace to their maiden major trophy with a win in the FA Cup final subsequently ushered in the rigors of European football for the very first time. These pressures are catching up with some exhausted squad members, many of whom have barely had a break all term.

The manager deployed an completely changed team, featuring four teenagers, in their final Conference League match. However, ahead of the Arsenal clash, he conceded he will have "no option" but to pick the majority of his first-choice team, which appeared extremely jaded as they unusually conceded four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Have to. Yes, have to," he affirmed.

The Gunners' Viewpoint and Selection Considerations

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are distinct. The boss must balance his desire to win a second major trophy with extreme practicality. Last year, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game versus Palace only days after their Carabao Cup fightback greatly damaged their title aspirations.

Arteta had implemented several changes for that League Cup tie but was compelled to introduce his "key players" after the break. Saka came off the bench to set up Jesus for a crucial goal in a move that left Glasner "incensed" over a possible offside, with no VAR available—a situation that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-match winning streak against Palace, including seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in last season's League Cup encounter and two in a later league win before sustaining a long-term knee injury, looks set to begin for the first time since then injury. Arteta disclosed the striker wrote a "beautiful" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We're used to it," commented Arteta on the busy schedule. "I think this week was the only full week we had to get ready. The period until February at least is going to be similar. 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 progress, Arsenal present a daunting challenge for a Palace side desperately in need of a spark as the festive period ramps up.