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You could excuse Oliver Glasner for preferring to spend a restful period with his loved ones in Austria ahead of Christmas, instead of preparing for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth game of the season—a Carabao Cup quarter-final with Arsenal. Yet, the suggestion that Palace might prioritize other competitions was firmly dismissed by their manager.

"No, I do not believe that," declared Glasner after his team's side's four-one hammering to Leeds. "If somebody tells me that we lose deliberately, the next day I'm not the coach any more."

There is a marked difference in Glasner's strategy to cup tournaments relative to his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This initially was evident during Palace's run to the League Cup last eight in his first full season in command. Under Hodgson, the team had previously been knocked out from each of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner fielded his strongest lineup for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a encounter with Arsenal.

That prior last-eight match ended in a 3-2 loss at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to a slightly debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having been ahead at half-time. Now, Glasner must devise a strategy for revenge versus the present Premier League pace-setters in a fixture that was rescheduled to this week owing to European obligations.

A Cost of Achievement and Continental Fatigue

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

The manager selected an completely changed team, featuring four youngsters, in their last Conference League fixture. Yet, for the Arsenal game, he admitted he will have "little choice" but to pick the bulk of his first-choice side, which looked decidedly lethargic as they uncharacteristically let in four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Must. Yes, have to," he stated.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Team Dilemmas

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are distinct. The manager must juggle his desire to win a another major trophy with extreme practicality. The previous season, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game versus Palace only days after their Carabao Cup fightback significantly damaged their title hopes.

Arteta had implemented several changes for that League Cup match but was compelled to bring on his "big-hitters" after the break. Saka came off 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 repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-game winning run versus Palace, featuring seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup encounter and two in a later league win before suffering a serious knee injury, looks set to start for the first time since that injury. Arteta disclosed the striker wrote a "beautiful" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We are accustomed to it," said Arteta on the busy schedule. "In my view this week was the sole full week we had to prepare. The period until February at least is going to be like this. We have a beautiful chance to go into the semi-final of a tournament so we will be ready."

With important players returning from injury and a determination to advance, Arsenal pose a daunting test for a Palace side desperately in need of a spark as the holiday schedule ramps up.