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You could excuse Oliver Glasner for wishing to enjoy a quiet few days with his loved ones in Austria before Christmas, instead of gearing up for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth fixture of the season—a League Cup quarter-final with Arsenal. However, the notion that Palace might prioritize other competitions was firmly rejected by their head coach.

"Absolutely not, I do not believe that," stated Glasner following his team's side's 4-1 defeat to Leeds. "If somebody informs me that we are defeated on purpose, the following day I'm no longer the manager anymore."

There exists a clear difference in Glasner's approach 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 first full season in charge. Under Hodgson, the team had already been eliminated from each of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner fielded his best lineup for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a meeting with Arsenal.

That previous quarter-final tie ended in a three-two defeat at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to a slightly controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having led at the interval. Now, Glasner now faces the task to figure out a plan for revenge against the present Premier League pace-setters in a match that was moved to this week because of European commitments.

The Cost of Achievement and European Fatigue

Glasner has, in a sense, been a casualty of his own achievements. Leading Palace to their maiden major trophy with a win in the FA Cup final subsequently brought the challenges of continental football for the first time. These demands are catching up with some exhausted squad members, many of whom have barely had a rest all term.

The coach fielded an entirely changed side, featuring four teenagers, in their last Conference League fixture. Yet, for the Arsenal game, he admitted he will have "no option" but to choose the bulk of his first-choice team, which looked extremely lethargic as they unusually let in four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Must. Yes, must," he affirmed.

The Gunners' Perspective and Selection Considerations

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are different. The boss must juggle his desire to win a second major trophy with extreme pragmatism. The previous season, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game versus Palace just days after their Carabao Cup comeback significantly damaged their title aspirations.

Arteta had made several changes for that League Cup tie but was compelled to bring on his "big-hitters" 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 scenario that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-game winning streak against Palace, including seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in last season's League Cup meeting and two in a subsequent league win before sustaining a serious knee injury, looks set to start for the first since that injury. Arteta disclosed the forward wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football means to him.

"We're accustomed to it," commented Arteta on the congested fixture list. "I think this week was the only full week we had to prepare. The period until February at least is going to be similar. We have a beautiful chance to go into the semi-final of a tournament 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 holiday schedule ramps up.