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One might excuse Oliver Glasner for preferring to enjoy a quiet period with his loved ones in Austria before Christmas, rather than gearing up for Crystal Palace's 29th game of the campaign—a Carabao Cup last-eight clash against Arsenal. However, the notion that Palace could prioritize other tournaments was firmly dismissed by their head coach.

"No, I do not believe that," stated Glasner following his team's side's four-one hammering to Leeds. "If anyone tells me that we lose on purpose, the next day I'm no longer the manager any more."

There is a marked difference in Glasner's strategy to cup tournaments relative to his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This first became clear during Palace's journey to the Carabao 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 assumed control at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner picked his strongest lineup for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a encounter with Arsenal.

That previous quarter-final match ended in a 3-2 loss at the Emirates Stadium, following a rather 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 strategy for payback against the current Premier League leaders in a match that was rescheduled to this week owing to European commitments.

A Price of Success and European Fatigue

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

The coach selected an entirely different lineup, featuring four youngsters, in their final Conference League fixture. However, for the Arsenal clash, he conceded he will have "little choice" but to choose the bulk of his first-choice side, which looked decidedly lethargic as they unusually let in four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Have to. Yes, must," he stated.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Team Considerations

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are distinct. The manager must balance his desire to win a second major trophy with considerable pragmatism. The previous season, a muscle injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game versus Palace only days after their Carabao Cup fightback significantly damaged their title aspirations.

Arteta had implemented a number of changes for that League Cup match but was forced to bring on 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 "incensed" over a potential offside, with no VAR available—a scenario that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-game winning run against Palace, featuring seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup meeting and a brace in a subsequent league win before suffering a long-term knee injury, is expected to start for the first since that injury. Arteta disclosed the forward wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football means to him.

"We are accustomed to it," commented Arteta on the busy 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 like this. We have a beautiful opportunity to go into the semi-final of a competition so we will be ready."

With key players coming back from injury and a desire to progress, Arsenal present a daunting challenge for a Crystal Palace side desperately in need of a spark as the festive period ramps up.