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One might excuse Oliver Glasner for preferring to spend a quiet few days with his family in Austria ahead of Christmas, rather than gearing up for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth match of the campaign—a League Cup quarter-final against Arsenal. Yet, the idea that Palace could prioritize other tournaments was swiftly dismissed by their head coach.

"Absolutely not, I don't think so," stated Glasner following his team's side's four-one hammering to Leeds. "If somebody informs me that we lose on purpose, the next day I'm no longer the manager any more."

There is a clear contrast in Glasner's strategy to cup competitions versus his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This first became clear during Palace's run to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals in his first full season in charge. Under Hodgson, the club had already been eliminated from each of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner picked his first-choice team for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a encounter with Arsenal.

That previous quarter-final tie concluded in a three-two loss at the Emirates Stadium, due to a somewhat controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having been ahead at half-time. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner must devise a plan for payback versus the current Premier League leaders in a match that was moved to this week because of European commitments.

The Price of Achievement and European Exhaustion

Glasner has, in a way, been a victim of his own achievements. Guiding Palace to their maiden major trophy with a win in the FA Cup final subsequently ushered in the demands of European football for the very first time. These pressures are taking a toll on several fatigued players, many of whom have barely enjoyed a break all term.

The coach selected an entirely changed lineup, including four youngsters, in their final Conference League fixture. Yet, ahead of the Arsenal clash, he conceded he will have "little choice" but to select the bulk of his first-choice team, which looked extremely jaded as they uncharacteristically conceded four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Have to. Yes, have to," he said.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Selection Considerations

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are different. The boss must juggle his ambition to win a another major trophy with considerable pragmatism. Last year, a muscle injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game against Palace only days after their Carabao Cup comeback significantly damaged their title hopes.

Arteta had implemented a number of changes for that League 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 are on an eight-match winning streak against Palace, featuring seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in last season's League Cup encounter and two in a later league win before sustaining a serious knee injury, looks set to start for the first time since then 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 congested schedule. "I think this week was the sole complete 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 last four of a tournament so we will be ready."

Amid important players returning from injury and a determination to progress, Arsenal present a daunting test for a Crystal Palace side desperately in need of rejuvenation as the festive period ramps up.