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One might excuse Oliver Glasner for wishing to enjoy a restful period with his family in Austria ahead of Christmas, rather than gearing up for Crystal Palace's 29th game of the campaign—a Carabao Cup quarter-final against Arsenal. Yet, the suggestion that Palace could prioritize other competitions was firmly dismissed by their manager.

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

There exists a clear difference in Glasner's strategy to domestic cup tournaments compared to his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This initially became clear during Palace's run to the League Cup quarter-finals in his first full season in command. Under Hodgson, the team had already been knocked out from each of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner picked his first-choice team for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a encounter with Arsenal.

That prior last-eight match concluded in a 3-2 loss at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to a rather debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having led at the interval. Now, Glasner must devise a plan for payback against the present Premier League leaders in a match that was moved to this week owing to European obligations.

A Price of Success and European Fatigue

Glasner has, in a sense, been a victim of his own achievements. Leading Palace to their first major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final subsequently brought the challenges of continental football for the first time. These pressures are taking a toll on several exhausted squad members, many of whom have barely enjoyed a break all term.

The manager selected an entirely different side, including four teenagers, in their last Conference League match. However, ahead of the Arsenal clash, he conceded he will have "no option" but to select the bulk of his preferred side, which appeared extremely jaded as they uncharacteristically let in four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Must. Yes, must," he stated.

The Gunners' Perspective and Team Dilemmas

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

Arteta had made a number of changes for that League Cup tie but was compelled to bring on his "key players" after the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to assist Jesus for a decisive 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 have an eight-match winning run against Palace, featuring seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in last season's League Cup encounter and a brace in a subsequent league win before suffering a serious knee injury, is expected to start for the first since then setback. Arteta revealed the striker wrote a "beautiful" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We're accustomed to it," commented Arteta on the busy schedule. "I think this week was the sole full week we had to prepare. The rest until February at least is going to be like this. We have a beautiful chance to go into the semi-final of a competition so we will be prepared."

With key players returning from injury and a desire to progress, Arsenal present a formidable test for a Palace side desperately in need of a spark as the holiday period intensifies.