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You could forgive Oliver Glasner for wishing to enjoy a quiet few days with his loved ones in Austria ahead of Christmas, instead of gearing up for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth game of the season—a League Cup last-eight clash with Arsenal. However, the suggestion that Palace could prioritize other competitions was swiftly rejected by their head coach.

"No, I don't think so," declared Glasner following his team's side's four-one defeat to Leeds. "Should somebody tells me that we lose on purpose, the following day I'm no longer the coach any more."

There is a marked difference in Glasner's philosophy to cup competitions versus his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This first became clear during Palace's run to the League Cup last eight in his debut complete campaign in command. Under Hodgson, the team had previously been knocked out from each of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner fielded his best side for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a meeting with Arsenal.

That previous quarter-final tie concluded in a three-two defeat at the Emirates Stadium, following a somewhat controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having led at half-time. Now, Glasner must devise a plan for payback versus the current Premier League pace-setters in a fixture that was moved to this week owing to European obligations.

The Cost of Success and Continental Fatigue

Glasner has, in a way, 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 demands of European football for the first time. These pressures are taking a toll on some weary players, many of whom have barely enjoyed a rest all term.

The coach fielded an completely changed side, featuring four teenagers, in their final Conference League fixture. However, ahead of the Arsenal game, he admitted he will have "little choice" but to select the majority of his first-choice side, which looked extremely jaded as they unusually let in four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Must. Yes, have to," he stated.

The Gunners' Viewpoint and Selection Considerations

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

Arteta had made a number of changes for that League Cup match but was forced to bring on his "key players" after the break. Saka came off the bench to assist Jesus for a decisive goal in a passage of play that left Glasner "incensed" over a possible offside, with no VAR in operation—a scenario that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-game winning streak versus Palace, featuring seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup meeting and a brace in a subsequent league win before suffering a serious knee injury, is expected to start for the first time since then setback. Arteta revealed the striker wrote a "beautiful" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We are accustomed to it," commented Arteta on the congested schedule. "I think this week was the sole complete week we had to get ready. The period until February at least is going to be similar. We have a beautiful opportunity to go into the last four of a tournament so we will be prepared."

Amid important players returning from injury and a determination to advance, Arsenal present a formidable test for a Crystal Palace side urgently in need of rejuvenation as the holiday period ramps up.