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You could forgive Oliver Glasner for wishing to spend a quiet few days with his loved ones in Austria before Christmas, instead of preparing for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth fixture of the season—a Carabao Cup last-eight clash with Arsenal. However, the notion that Palace could prioritize other competitions was swiftly dismissed by their head coach.

"Absolutely not, I do not believe that," remarked Glasner following his team's side's four-one defeat to Leeds. "If anyone tells me that we are defeated on purpose, the following day I'm no longer the manager any more."

There exists a marked difference in Glasner's approach to cup tournaments compared to his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This initially was evident during Palace's journey to the League Cup quarter-finals in his debut full season in command. Under Hodgson, the team had previously been eliminated from each of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner fielded his first-choice side for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a meeting with Arsenal.

That previous quarter-final match ended in a three-two loss at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to a slightly controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having been ahead at half-time. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner must figure out a plan for revenge against the current Premier League leaders in a match that was rescheduled to this week because of European commitments.

The Price of Success and European Fatigue

Glasner has, in a way, been a casualty of his own achievements. Leading Palace to their first major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final has brought the demands of continental football for the first time. These pressures are catching up with several weary players, many of whom have hardly enjoyed a break all season.

The coach selected an entirely changed lineup, featuring four youngsters, in their final Conference League fixture. However, for the Arsenal game, he conceded he will have "little choice" but to choose the bulk of his preferred side, which appeared extremely lethargic as they uncharacteristically let in four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Have to. Yes, must," he said.

The Gunners' Viewpoint and Selection Considerations

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are different. The manager 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 harmed their title aspirations.

Arteta had implemented a number of changes for that cup tie but was compelled to introduce his "key players" following the break. Saka came off the bench to set up Jesus for a crucial goal in a passage of play that left Glasner "furious" over a potential offside, with no VAR available—a scenario that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-match unbeaten streak versus Palace, including 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 long-term knee injury, is expected to begin for the first time since that setback. Arteta revealed the forward wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We're accustomed to it," said Arteta on the congested fixture list. "In my view this week was the only full week we had to prepare. The rest until February at least is going to be similar. We have a wonderful chance to go into the semi-final of a competition so we will be ready."

With key players returning from injury and a desire to progress, Arsenal pose a formidable challenge for a Palace side desperately in need of rejuvenation as the holiday period ramps up.