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One might excuse Oliver Glasner for preferring to enjoy a quiet few days with his loved ones in Austria before Christmas, rather than gearing up for Crystal Palace's 29th match of the season—a Carabao Cup last-eight clash against Arsenal. Yet, the idea that Palace might prioritize other competitions was swiftly rejected by their boss.

"Absolutely not, I do not believe that," stated Glasner after his team's side's 4-1 defeat to Leeds. "Should anyone tells me that we are defeated on purpose, the following day I'm no longer the coach any more."

There is a clear difference in Glasner's strategy to domestic cup competitions relative to his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This initially was evident during Palace's run to the League Cup quarter-finals in his debut full season in charge. Under Hodgson, the club had already been eliminated from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner fielded his strongest side for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a encounter with Arsenal.

That previous quarter-final match concluded in a 3-2 defeat at the Emirates Stadium, following a slightly debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having led at the interval. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner now faces the task to devise a strategy for revenge against the present Premier League pace-setters in a match that was moved to this week because of European commitments.

The Price of Achievement and Continental Exhaustion

Glasner has, in a way, been a casualty of his own success. Leading Palace to their maiden major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final has brought the challenges of continental football for the very first time. These pressures are catching up with several fatigued squad members, many of whom have barely had a break all term.

The manager deployed an entirely different lineup, including four teenagers, in their last Conference League fixture. However, ahead of the Arsenal game, he admitted he will have "no option" but to pick the majority of his first-choice team, which appeared decidedly jaded as they uncharacteristically conceded four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Must. Yes, must," he said.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Selection Considerations

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are different. The boss must juggle his ambition to win a second major trophy with extreme practicality. Last year, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka suffered in a league game against Palace only days after their Carabao Cup comeback significantly harmed their title aspirations.

Arteta had implemented several changes for that League Cup match but was compelled to bring on his "big-hitters" following the break. Saka came off the bench to assist Jesus for a crucial goal in a move that left Glasner "furious" over a potential offside, with no VAR in operation—a situation that will be the case again on Tuesday.

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

"We're used to it," said Arteta on the congested fixture list. "I think this week was the sole complete week we had to get ready. The rest 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."

Amid important players coming back from injury and a desire to advance, Arsenal pose a daunting test for a Crystal Palace side desperately in need of a spark as the holiday schedule intensifies.