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You could forgive Oliver Glasner for preferring to spend a quiet few days with his loved ones in Austria ahead of Christmas, rather than gearing up for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth match of the season—a League Cup quarter-final against Arsenal. However, the idea that Palace might prioritize other tournaments was firmly dismissed by their boss.

"Absolutely not, I do not believe that," remarked Glasner after his team's side's four-one hammering to Leeds. "If somebody tells me that we are defeated deliberately, the following day I'm not the manager any more."

There exists a marked contrast in Glasner's strategy to cup competitions compared to his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This initially was evident during Palace's run to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals in his first complete campaign in command. Under Hodgson, the club had previously been eliminated from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner selected his strongest side for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a showdown with Arsenal.

That prior quarter-final tie concluded in a 3-2 loss at the Emirates Stadium, due to a rather debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having led at half-time. Now, Glasner must devise a strategy for revenge versus the current Premier League leaders in a match that was moved to this week because of European obligations.

The Cost of Achievement and Continental Exhaustion

Glasner has, in a way, been a victim of his own success. Guiding Palace to their maiden major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final subsequently ushered in the demands of continental football for the first time. These pressures are catching up with several exhausted squad members, many of whom have barely enjoyed a break all season.

The manager fielded an completely different lineup, including four youngsters, in their last Conference League match. Yet, for the Arsenal clash, he conceded he will have "no option" but to choose the majority of his first-choice side, which appeared extremely jaded as they unusually let in four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Have to. Yes, must," he affirmed.

Arsenal's Perspective and Team Considerations

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are different. The manager must juggle his ambition to win a second major trophy with extreme practicality. Last year, a muscle injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game versus Palace just days after their Carabao Cup fightback greatly harmed their title aspirations.

Arteta had made several changes for that League Cup tie but was forced to bring on his "key players" following the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to assist Jesus for a crucial goal in a move that left Glasner "furious" over a possible offside, with no VAR available—a situation that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-match unbeaten run versus Palace, including seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup meeting and two in a subsequent league win before suffering a serious knee injury, looks set to begin for the first time since then setback. Arteta revealed the forward wrote a "touching" 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 only complete week we had to get ready. The rest until February at least is going to be like this. We have a beautiful opportunity to go into the last four of a competition so we will be ready."

Amid important players returning from injury and a desire to advance, Arsenal pose a daunting test for a Palace side urgently in need of rejuvenation as the festive period ramps up.