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One might excuse Oliver Glasner for wishing to spend a quiet few days with his family in Austria ahead of Christmas, instead of gearing up for Crystal Palace's 29th match of the season—a League Cup last-eight clash with Arsenal. Yet, the suggestion that Palace might focus on other competitions was quickly dismissed by their head coach.

"Absolutely not, I do not believe that," stated Glasner after his team's side's four-one hammering to Leeds. "If somebody tells me that we lose on purpose, the next day I'm no longer the coach anymore."

There exists a stark difference in Glasner's philosophy to domestic cup competitions compared to his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This first was evident during Palace's run to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals in his first complete campaign in charge. 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. Conversely, Glasner picked his strongest lineup for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a showdown with Arsenal.

That previous quarter-final tie ended in a 3-2 loss at the Emirates Stadium, due to a rather debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having been ahead at half-time. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner must figure out a plan for revenge versus the current Premier League leaders in a match that was rescheduled to this week owing to European commitments.

The Price of Success and European Fatigue

Glasner has, in a sense, been a victim of his own achievements. Leading Palace to their first major trophy with a win in the FA Cup final subsequently ushered in the demands of continental football for the first time. These pressures are taking a toll on several weary squad members, many of whom have barely had a break all season.

The manager selected an entirely changed side, featuring four youngsters, in their last Conference League match. Yet, for the Arsenal game, he conceded he will have "little choice" but to select the majority of his preferred side, which appeared decidedly lethargic as they uncharacteristically conceded four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Have to. Yes, must," he stated.

The Gunners' Viewpoint and Selection Dilemmas

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

Arteta had made a number of changes for that cup match but was compelled to bring on his "key players" following the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to assist Jesus for a crucial goal in a passage of play that left Glasner "furious" over a potential offside, with no VAR available—a situation that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-game unbeaten streak versus Palace, featuring seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in the previous campaign'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 then injury. Arteta revealed the forward wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football means to him.

"We are used to it," said Arteta on the congested schedule. "I think this week was the only full week we had to get ready. The period until February at least is will be like this. We have a wonderful opportunity to go into the semi-final of a tournament so we will be prepared."

Amid key players returning from injury and a desire to progress, Arsenal present a daunting test for a Crystal Palace side urgently in need of rejuvenation as the holiday schedule ramps up.