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You could forgive Oliver Glasner for wishing to spend a quiet period with his family in Austria ahead of Christmas, instead of gearing up for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth game of the season—a League Cup quarter-final with Arsenal. However, the notion that Palace might focus on other tournaments was firmly rejected by their head coach.

"Absolutely not, I do not believe that," stated Glasner after his team's side's 4-1 hammering to Leeds. "Should anyone informs me that we are defeated on purpose, the following day I'm no longer the manager any more."

There exists a marked difference in Glasner's approach to domestic cup tournaments compared to his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This initially was evident during Palace's run to the League Cup last eight in his debut complete campaign in command. Under Hodgson, the club had already been knocked out from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner picked his first-choice side for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a showdown with Arsenal.

That prior quarter-final tie ended in a three-two loss at the Emirates Stadium, due to a slightly debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having been ahead at half-time. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner must devise a strategy for payback against the present Premier League pace-setters in a fixture that was rescheduled to this week owing to European commitments.

A Price of Achievement and European Exhaustion

Glasner has, in a sense, been a victim of his own achievements. Leading Palace to their maiden major trophy with a win in the FA Cup final has brought the challenges of European football for the very first time. These pressures are taking a toll on some exhausted squad members, many of whom have barely enjoyed a rest all season.

The coach deployed an entirely changed side, featuring four teenagers, in their last Conference League match. Yet, for the Arsenal clash, he admitted he will have "little choice" but to pick the bulk of his first-choice side, which appeared extremely lethargic as they uncharacteristically conceded four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Must. Yes, must," he said.

The Gunners' Perspective and Selection Considerations

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are distinct. The manager must juggle his ambition to win a second major trophy with extreme pragmatism. The previous season, a muscle injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game against Palace just days after their Carabao Cup fightback significantly harmed 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 was introduced from the bench to set up Jesus for a decisive goal in a passage of play that left Glasner "furious" over a potential offside, with no VAR available—a scenario that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-match unbeaten streak against Palace, featuring seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup encounter and a brace in a later league win before sustaining a serious knee injury, looks set to begin for the first time since then 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 fixture list. "I think this week was the sole full week we had to get ready. The period until February at least is going to be like this. We have a beautiful chance to go into the last four of a tournament so we will be prepared."

With important players coming back from injury and a determination to progress, Arsenal pose a daunting test for a Crystal Palace side desperately in need of rejuvenation as the holiday schedule intensifies.