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You could 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 match of the campaign—a League Cup last-eight clash with Arsenal. However, the suggestion that Palace could prioritize other competitions was swiftly dismissed by their boss.

"Absolutely not, I do not believe that," declared Glasner after his team's side's 4-1 defeat to Leeds. "If anyone informs me that we are defeated deliberately, the next day I'm no longer the manager any more."

There exists a marked contrast in Glasner's philosophy to domestic cup competitions versus his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This first became clear during Palace's run to the Carabao Cup last eight in his first full season in charge. Under Hodgson, the club had already been knocked out from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner picked his strongest lineup for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a showdown with Arsenal.

That previous quarter-final match ended in a 3-2 defeat at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to a somewhat controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having been ahead at half-time. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner now faces the task to devise a strategy for revenge against the current Premier League pace-setters in a fixture that was rescheduled to this week because of European obligations.

The Price of Success and Continental Fatigue

Glasner has, in a sense, been a casualty of his own success. Leading Palace to their first major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final has ushered in the rigors of European football for the very first time. These pressures are taking a toll on some fatigued squad members, many of whom have barely enjoyed a break all season.

The manager deployed an entirely changed team, including four teenagers, in their last Conference League fixture. However, ahead of the Arsenal game, he admitted he will have "no option" but to choose the majority of his preferred side, which appeared decidedly lethargic as they unusually conceded four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Must. Yes, must," he affirmed.

The Gunners' Viewpoint and Selection Dilemmas

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are distinct. The boss must juggle his ambition to win a another major trophy with extreme pragmatism. The previous season, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka suffered in a league game against Palace only days after their Carabao Cup comeback greatly harmed their title aspirations.

Arteta had implemented several changes for that cup tie but was forced to introduce his "big-hitters" after the break. Saka was introduced from 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 scenario that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-game unbeaten streak against Palace, featuring seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in last season's League Cup encounter and a brace in a subsequent league win before sustaining a long-term knee injury, is expected to start for the first since then setback. Arteta disclosed the striker 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 only full week we had to get ready. The rest until February at least is going to be similar. We have a beautiful chance to go into the last four of a competition so we will be prepared."

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