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You could excuse Oliver Glasner for preferring to enjoy a quiet few days with his loved ones in Austria ahead of Christmas, rather than gearing up for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth game of the campaign—a League Cup quarter-final with Arsenal. Yet, the notion that Palace could focus on other competitions was quickly dismissed by their head coach.

"Absolutely not, I do not believe that," remarked Glasner after his team's side's 4-1 defeat to Leeds. "Should anyone informs me that we lose deliberately, the next day I'm no longer the coach any more."

There is a marked difference in Glasner's philosophy to cup tournaments relative to his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This first became clear during Palace's journey to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals in his debut complete campaign in command. 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. Conversely, Glasner picked his best side for wins 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, thanks to a somewhat debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having led at half-time. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner now faces the task to figure out a plan for payback versus the current Premier League pace-setters in a fixture that was rescheduled to this week owing to European obligations.

The Price of Success and Continental Exhaustion

Glasner has, in a way, been a victim of his own achievements. Leading Palace to their maiden major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final subsequently brought the demands of European football for the very first time. These pressures are catching up with some fatigued squad members, many of whom have hardly enjoyed a break all season.

The manager fielded an completely changed 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 select the bulk of his preferred team, which appeared decidedly lethargic as they uncharacteristically conceded four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Have to. Yes, have to," he said.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Team Considerations

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are distinct. The boss must balance his desire to win a second major trophy with considerable pragmatism. Last year, a muscle injury to Bukayo Saka suffered in a league game versus Palace just days after their Carabao Cup comeback significantly damaged their title aspirations.

Arteta had made several changes for that League Cup match but was compelled to introduce his "key players" after the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to assist Jesus for a crucial goal in a move that left Glasner "incensed" over a possible offside, with no VAR in operation—a scenario that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-match winning streak against Palace, featuring seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in last season's League Cup meeting and a brace in a later league win before suffering a serious knee injury, is expected 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 busy fixture list. "I think this week was the only complete week we had to prepare. The period until February at least is going to be like this. We have a wonderful opportunity to go into the semi-final of a competition so we will be ready."

With key players returning from injury and a desire to advance, Arsenal pose a daunting challenge for a Crystal Palace side desperately in need of a spark as the holiday schedule intensifies.