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One might excuse Oliver Glasner for wishing to enjoy a restful period with his family in Austria before Christmas, instead of gearing up for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth game of the season—a Carabao Cup last-eight clash with Arsenal. Yet, the suggestion that Palace could prioritize other competitions was quickly dismissed by their boss.

"Absolutely not, I do not believe that," declared Glasner following his team's side's 4-1 loss to Leeds. "Should somebody informs me that we are defeated on purpose, the next day I'm no longer the coach anymore."

There is a stark difference in Glasner's approach to cup competitions compared to his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This first became clear during Palace's run to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals in his first full season in command. Under Hodgson, the club had previously been eliminated from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner picked his strongest team for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a showdown with Arsenal.

That prior last-eight match concluded in a 3-2 loss at the Emirates Stadium, due to a somewhat controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having been ahead at the interval. Now, Glasner now faces the task to figure out a plan for payback against the current Premier League leaders in a fixture that was rescheduled to this week because of European commitments.

A Price of Success and European Exhaustion

Glasner has, in a sense, been a victim of his own achievements. Guiding Palace to their first major trophy with a win in the FA Cup final subsequently ushered in the demands of continental football for the very first time. These pressures are catching up with some exhausted players, many of whom have hardly had a rest all season.

The manager selected an completely changed team, featuring four teenagers, in their last Conference League match. However, for the Arsenal clash, he admitted he will have "little choice" but to pick the majority of his preferred side, which appeared decidedly jaded as they unusually conceded four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Have to. Yes, must," he stated.

Arsenal's Perspective and Team Considerations

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are distinct. 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 against Palace only days after their Carabao Cup fightback greatly damaged their title hopes.

Arteta had implemented a number of changes for that League Cup tie but was forced to introduce his "big-hitters" following the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to assist Jesus for a crucial goal in a move that left Glasner "incensed" over a potential offside, with no VAR available—a scenario that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-match unbeaten streak against Palace, featuring seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup meeting and two in a later league win before sustaining a serious knee injury, looks set to start for the first time since that setback. Arteta disclosed the striker wrote a "beautiful" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We are used to it," said Arteta on the congested fixture list. "I think this week was the only complete week we had to prepare. The period until February at least is going to be similar. We have a wonderful opportunity to go into the last four of a competition so we will be prepared."

With important players returning from injury and a determination to progress, Arsenal pose a formidable test for a Palace side desperately in need of rejuvenation as the festive schedule ramps up.