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You could excuse 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 game of the campaign—a League Cup quarter-final against Arsenal. However, the idea that Palace might focus on other tournaments was quickly rejected by their boss.

"No, I do not believe that," stated Glasner following his team's side's four-one loss to Leeds. "If anyone tells me that we lose on purpose, the following day I'm not the coach anymore."

There is a clear contrast in Glasner's philosophy to domestic cup tournaments relative to his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This initially was evident during Palace's run to the League Cup quarter-finals in his debut full season in command. Under Hodgson, the team had already been knocked out from each of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner fielded his first-choice lineup for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a encounter with Arsenal.

That previous quarter-final match ended in a 3-2 loss at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to 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 revenge versus the current Premier League leaders in a match that was moved to this week because of European commitments.

A Price of Achievement and Continental Fatigue

Glasner has, in a way, been a victim of his own success. Guiding Palace to their maiden major trophy with a win in the FA Cup final subsequently ushered in the challenges of European football for the first time. These demands are catching up with some weary players, many of whom have hardly enjoyed a break all term.

The manager selected an completely changed lineup, featuring four teenagers, in their last Conference League fixture. However, for the Arsenal clash, he conceded he will have "no option" but to select the majority of his first-choice side, which looked decidedly lethargic as they uncharacteristically let in four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Have to. Yes, must," he stated.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Selection Considerations

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are distinct. The manager must balance his ambition to win a second major trophy with considerable practicality. Last year, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka suffered in a league game against Palace just days after their Carabao Cup comeback significantly damaged their title hopes.

Arteta had implemented several changes for that cup match but was compelled to introduce his "big-hitters" after the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to set up 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 be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-match unbeaten streak versus Palace, featuring seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in last season's League Cup encounter and two in a subsequent league win before suffering a serious knee injury, looks set to start 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 accustomed to it," commented Arteta on the busy schedule. "I think this week was the only full week we had to prepare. The period until February at least is will be similar. We have a wonderful opportunity to go into the last four of a competition so we will be prepared."

With key players returning from injury and a determination to advance, Arsenal pose a formidable challenge for a Crystal Palace side urgently in need of rejuvenation as the holiday schedule ramps up.