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You could forgive Oliver Glasner for wishing to enjoy a quiet few days with his family in Austria ahead of Christmas, rather than gearing up for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth game of the season—a League Cup last-eight clash with Arsenal. However, the notion that Palace might focus on other tournaments was firmly rejected by their boss.

"No, I don't think so," stated Glasner after his team's side's four-one defeat to Leeds. "Should anyone informs me that we lose deliberately, the following day I'm not the coach anymore."

There exists a stark contrast in Glasner's strategy to cup tournaments compared to his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This first was evident during Palace's run to the League Cup last eight in his debut complete campaign in charge. Under Hodgson, the team had previously been eliminated from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner selected his strongest team for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a meeting with Arsenal.

That previous quarter-final match concluded in a 3-2 loss at the Emirates Stadium, due to a somewhat debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having led at the interval. Now, Glasner must figure out a strategy for payback against the present Premier League pace-setters in a match that was moved to this week owing to European commitments.

A Cost of Achievement and Continental Fatigue

Glasner has, in a way, been a casualty of his own success. Leading Palace to their maiden major trophy with a win in the FA Cup final subsequently ushered in the demands of European football for the first time. These demands are catching up with some weary players, many of whom have barely enjoyed a break all term.

The manager selected an completely changed team, including four teenagers, in their last Conference League fixture. However, for the Arsenal game, he admitted he will have "no option" but to select the majority of his preferred team, which looked decidedly lethargic as they uncharacteristically conceded four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Must. Yes, have to," he said.

Arsenal's Perspective and Team Considerations

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are different. The manager must juggle his ambition to win a second major trophy with extreme pragmatism. Last year, a muscle injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game against Palace just days after their Carabao Cup fightback significantly harmed their title hopes.

Arteta had implemented a number of changes for that cup tie but was compelled to introduce his "key players" after the break. Saka came off the bench to assist Jesus for a decisive goal in a passage of play that left Glasner "furious" over a potential offside, with no VAR in operation—a scenario that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-game winning streak against Palace, including seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in last season's League Cup meeting and a brace in a subsequent league win before sustaining a long-term knee injury, looks set to start for the first time since that setback. Arteta revealed the forward wrote a "beautiful" 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 sole complete week we had to get ready. The period until February at least is will be like this. We have a beautiful opportunity to go into the semi-final of a competition so we will be prepared."

With important players coming back from injury and a desire to advance, Arsenal present a daunting test for a Palace side urgently in need of a spark as the holiday period intensifies.