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One might forgive Oliver Glasner for preferring to enjoy a restful period with his loved ones in Austria before Christmas, instead of preparing for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth fixture of the season—a League Cup last-eight clash against Arsenal. Yet, the idea that Palace could focus on other competitions was firmly rejected by their head coach.

"No, I do not believe that," remarked Glasner following his team's side's 4-1 hammering to Leeds. "If somebody informs me that we lose deliberately, the next day I'm no longer the coach any more."

There is a marked contrast in Glasner's approach to cup tournaments relative to his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This first was evident during Palace's run to the League Cup quarter-finals in his first full season in command. Under Hodgson, the club had previously been knocked out from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner picked his strongest side for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a encounter with Arsenal.

That previous last-eight tie concluded in a three-two loss at the Emirates Stadium, due to a slightly debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having led at half-time. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner now faces the task to figure out a strategy for revenge against the present Premier League pace-setters in a match that was moved to this week because of European commitments.

A Price of Achievement and European Exhaustion

Glasner has, in a sense, been a casualty of his own achievements. Guiding Palace to their first 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 several weary squad members, many of whom have barely enjoyed a rest all term.

The coach deployed an completely different lineup, including four youngsters, in their last Conference League match. However, ahead of the Arsenal clash, he conceded he will have "little choice" but to pick the majority of his preferred side, which looked decidedly jaded as they uncharacteristically conceded four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Must. Yes, have to," he stated.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Selection Dilemmas

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

Arteta had implemented a number of changes for that cup match but was compelled to bring on his "key players" following the break. Saka came off the bench to assist Jesus for a decisive goal in a move that left Glasner "incensed" over a possible offside, with no VAR available—a situation that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-game unbeaten run versus 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 long-term knee injury, looks set to start for the first time since that setback. Arteta revealed the striker wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We are accustomed to it," said Arteta on the congested schedule. "In my view this week was the only complete week we had to get ready. The period until February at least is will be similar. We have a beautiful opportunity to go into the semi-final of a competition so we will be prepared."

With important players returning from injury and a determination to progress, Arsenal pose a daunting test for a Palace side urgently in need of rejuvenation as the festive schedule intensifies.