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One might excuse Oliver Glasner for preferring to spend a quiet period with his loved ones in Austria before Christmas, rather than gearing up for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth game of the season—a Carabao Cup last-eight clash with Arsenal. Yet, the idea that Palace might prioritize other competitions was swiftly dismissed by their manager.

"No, I do not believe that," stated Glasner following his team's side's 4-1 defeat to Leeds. "Should anyone tells me that we are defeated deliberately, the following day I'm not the coach anymore."

There exists a stark difference in Glasner's strategy to cup tournaments versus his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This initially became clear during Palace's journey to the League Cup quarter-finals in his first complete campaign in charge. Under Hodgson, the team had already been knocked out from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner fielded his best side for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a meeting with Arsenal.

That prior last-eight tie ended in a three-two loss at the Emirates Stadium, following a rather debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having been ahead at the interval. Now, Glasner now faces the task to devise a strategy for revenge versus the current Premier League leaders in a match that was rescheduled to this week owing to European obligations.

The Cost of Achievement and Continental Fatigue

Glasner has, in a sense, 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 rigors of European football for the very first time. These pressures are catching up with some weary squad members, many of whom have barely enjoyed a break all term.

The coach fielded an completely different side, including four youngsters, in their final Conference League fixture. Yet, for the Arsenal clash, he admitted he will have "little choice" but to choose the bulk of his preferred team, which looked decidedly lethargic as they unusually let in four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Must. Yes, have to," he stated.

Arsenal's Perspective and Team Considerations

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

Arteta had implemented several changes for that League Cup match but was compelled to introduce his "big-hitters" after the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to assist Jesus for a crucial goal in a passage of play that left Glasner "furious" over a possible offside, with no VAR available—a scenario that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-match winning streak against Palace, including seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup encounter and a brace in a subsequent league win before sustaining a long-term knee injury, looks set to begin for the first time since then setback. Arteta revealed the forward wrote a "beautiful" letter to his teammates about what football means to him.

"We're used to it," commented Arteta on the busy schedule. "In my view this week was the only full week we had to prepare. The rest until February at least is will be similar. We have a wonderful opportunity to go into the semi-final of a tournament so we will be prepared."

With important players returning from injury and a determination to progress, Arsenal present a daunting test for a Crystal Palace side urgently in need of a spark as the holiday period intensifies.