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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, instead of gearing up for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth game of the campaign—a Carabao Cup last-eight clash against Arsenal. Yet, the notion that Palace might prioritize other competitions was swiftly dismissed by their manager.

"Absolutely not, I don't think so," stated Glasner after his team's side's four-one loss to Leeds. "If somebody informs me that we are defeated on purpose, the following day I'm not the manager any more."

There exists a clear difference in Glasner's strategy to cup competitions versus his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This initially was evident during Palace's journey to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals in his first full season in charge. Under Hodgson, the club had previously been knocked out from each of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner selected his best lineup for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a meeting with Arsenal.

That prior last-eight tie concluded in a 3-2 loss at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to a somewhat debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having been ahead at the interval. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner must devise a plan for revenge versus the current Premier League leaders in a fixture that was rescheduled to this week owing to European obligations.

A Price of Achievement 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 subsequently ushered in the demands of European football for the first time. These pressures are taking a toll on several fatigued players, many of whom have hardly had a break all season.

The coach selected an completely different lineup, including four teenagers, in their final Conference League match. However, ahead of the Arsenal clash, he conceded he will have "no option" but to select the bulk of his preferred team, which appeared decidedly jaded as they unusually conceded four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Must. Yes, must," he affirmed.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Selection Dilemmas

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are distinct. The boss must balance 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 fightback significantly harmed their title hopes.

Arteta had made several changes for that cup match but was compelled to bring on his "big-hitters" after the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to assist Jesus for a decisive goal in a move that left Glasner "furious" over a possible offside, with no VAR available—a situation that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-game winning run against Palace, including seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup meeting and a brace in a subsequent league win before suffering a serious knee injury, looks set to begin for the first since then setback. Arteta disclosed the striker wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We are used to it," commented Arteta on the busy schedule. "In my view 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."

With key players coming back from injury and a determination to advance, Arsenal pose a formidable challenge for a Crystal Palace side desperately in need of a spark as the festive period ramps up.