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You could forgive Oliver Glasner for wishing to enjoy a quiet period with his loved ones in Austria before Christmas, rather than preparing for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth game of the season—a League Cup last-eight clash against Arsenal. However, the idea that Palace could prioritize other competitions was firmly dismissed by their head coach.

"Absolutely not, I don't think so," stated Glasner following his team's side's four-one hammering to Leeds. "If somebody tells me that we are defeated deliberately, the following day I'm no longer the manager any more."

There is a stark contrast in Glasner's approach to domestic cup tournaments compared to his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This first was evident during Palace's run to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals in his debut complete campaign in charge. Under Hodgson, the club had already been knocked out from each of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner picked his first-choice side for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a encounter with Arsenal.

That previous quarter-final match ended in a 3-2 defeat at the Emirates Stadium, due to a rather controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having led at half-time. Now, Glasner must figure out a plan for revenge against the current Premier League pace-setters in a match that was rescheduled to this week owing to European obligations.

A Price of Success and Continental Fatigue

Glasner has, in a sense, been a victim 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 demands are taking a toll on several fatigued players, many of whom have barely had a break all term.

The manager selected an entirely different lineup, featuring four youngsters, in their final Conference League fixture. Yet, ahead of the Arsenal clash, he conceded he will have "no option" but to pick the bulk of his preferred team, which appeared extremely lethargic as they uncharacteristically let in four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Have to. Yes, must," he said.

The Gunners' Viewpoint and Selection Dilemmas

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

Arteta had made a number of changes for that League Cup match but was forced to introduce his "key players" following the break. Saka came off the bench to assist Jesus for a crucial goal in a passage of play 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 wins. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in last season's League Cup encounter and a brace in a later league win before suffering a long-term knee injury, is expected to start for the first since that injury. Arteta revealed the forward wrote a "beautiful" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We are used to it," commented Arteta on the congested fixture list. "I think this week was the sole complete week we had to prepare. The rest until February at least is will be similar. We have a wonderful opportunity to go into the semi-final of a tournament so we will be prepared."

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