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You could forgive Oliver Glasner for preferring to spend a quiet period with his family in Austria before Christmas, rather than gearing up for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth match of the campaign—a League Cup last-eight clash against Arsenal. Yet, the suggestion that Palace might focus on other competitions was quickly dismissed by their head coach.

"No, I don't think so," remarked Glasner after his team's side's 4-1 loss to Leeds. "If somebody tells me that we lose on purpose, the following day I'm no longer the manager any more."

There is a stark contrast in Glasner's strategy to cup competitions compared to his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This initially was evident during Palace's journey to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals in his first full season in charge. Under Hodgson, the team had previously been eliminated from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner picked his best team for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a encounter with Arsenal.

That previous quarter-final tie concluded in a 3-2 defeat at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to a slightly debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having led at the interval. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner must devise a strategy for revenge versus the present Premier League pace-setters in a fixture that was moved to this week owing to European obligations.

A Cost of Success and European Fatigue

Glasner has, in a way, been a victim of his own achievements. Leading Palace to their maiden major trophy with a win in the FA Cup final has brought the rigors of continental football for the very first time. These demands are taking a toll on some weary players, many of whom have hardly had a rest all season.

The manager selected an entirely changed team, featuring four youngsters, in their last Conference League match. However, ahead of the Arsenal clash, he admitted he will have "no option" but to choose the bulk of his preferred side, which appeared extremely lethargic as they unusually conceded four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Must. Yes, have to," he stated.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Selection Dilemmas

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are different. The manager must balance his desire to win a another major trophy with considerable pragmatism. Last year, a muscle injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game versus Palace only days after their Carabao Cup fightback greatly damaged their title aspirations.

Arteta had implemented a number of changes for that cup match but was forced to bring on his "key players" after the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to assist Jesus for a decisive goal in a passage of play that left Glasner "incensed" over a potential offside, with no VAR in operation—a scenario that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-match winning streak versus Palace, featuring seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup encounter and two in a subsequent league win before sustaining a serious knee injury, is expected to begin for the first time since that injury. Arteta disclosed the forward wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

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

Amid important players returning from injury and a desire to progress, Arsenal present a formidable challenge for a Palace side desperately in need of a spark as the holiday schedule intensifies.