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You could excuse Oliver Glasner for preferring to enjoy a restful few days with his loved ones in Austria before Christmas, rather than gearing up for Crystal Palace's 29th fixture of the campaign—a League Cup last-eight clash against Arsenal. Yet, the suggestion that Palace might prioritize other tournaments was quickly rejected by their head coach.

"No, I don't think so," stated Glasner following his team's side's 4-1 loss to Leeds. "If anyone tells me that we are defeated deliberately, the following day I'm not the manager anymore."

There is a clear difference in Glasner's strategy to domestic cup tournaments versus his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This first was evident during Palace's run to the Carabao Cup last eight in his first full season in charge. Under Hodgson, the team had already been eliminated from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner picked his first-choice lineup for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a encounter with Arsenal.

That prior quarter-final match concluded in a three-two defeat at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to a somewhat controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having been ahead at the interval. Now, Glasner must figure out a plan for revenge versus the present Premier League leaders in a fixture that was rescheduled to this week because of European commitments.

A Price of Success and Continental Fatigue

Glasner has, in a way, been a victim of his own success. Guiding Palace to their first major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final subsequently ushered in the demands of European football for the very first time. These demands are catching up with some weary players, many of whom have hardly had a break all season.

The coach fielded an completely different side, featuring four youngsters, in their last Conference League match. Yet, ahead of the Arsenal game, he conceded he will have "no option" but to choose the bulk of his preferred team, which appeared extremely lethargic as they unusually let in four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Must. Yes, have to," he affirmed.

The Gunners' Viewpoint and Team Dilemmas

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are distinct. The boss must juggle his desire to win a another 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 harmed their title hopes.

Arteta had made a number of changes for that cup tie but was compelled to bring on his "key players" after the break. Saka came off the bench to set up Jesus for a decisive goal in a move that left Glasner "furious" over a possible offside, with no VAR in operation—a situation that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-match unbeaten streak versus Palace, including seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup encounter and a brace in a later league win before sustaining a long-term knee injury, looks set to begin for the first time since that injury. Arteta revealed the forward wrote a "beautiful" letter to his teammates about what football means to him.

"We're accustomed to it," commented Arteta on the busy schedule. "In my view this week was the only full week we had to get ready. The rest 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 prepared."

With important players coming back from injury and a desire to progress, Arsenal pose a formidable challenge for a Crystal Palace side desperately in need of rejuvenation as the festive period intensifies.