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One might excuse Oliver Glasner for wishing to enjoy a quiet few days with his family in Austria before Christmas, instead of preparing for Crystal Palace's 29th game of the season—a League Cup last-eight clash with Arsenal. Yet, the idea that Palace could focus on other competitions was quickly rejected by their boss.

"Absolutely not, I do not believe that," stated Glasner after his team's side's 4-1 defeat to Leeds. "Should anyone informs me that we lose on purpose, the next day I'm no longer the manager anymore."

There exists a marked contrast in Glasner's strategy to cup tournaments relative to his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This initially became clear during Palace's run to the Carabao Cup last eight in his first complete campaign in command. Under Hodgson, the team had already been knocked out from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner fielded 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 loss at the Emirates Stadium, following a somewhat debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having led at the interval. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner now faces the task to devise a strategy for revenge versus 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 Exhaustion

Glasner has, in a way, been a victim of his own success. Guiding Palace to their first major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final subsequently brought the rigors of continental football for the very first time. These pressures are catching up with several fatigued players, many of whom have hardly enjoyed a rest all term.

The manager fielded an entirely changed side, including four youngsters, in their final Conference League match. Yet, for the Arsenal clash, he admitted he will have "no option" but to choose the majority of his first-choice side, which appeared decidedly lethargic as they unusually let in four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Have to. Yes, must," he said.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Team Considerations

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are distinct. The manager must juggle his desire to win a another major trophy with extreme practicality. Last year, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka sustained 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 League Cup match but was forced to introduce his "key players" following the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to set up Jesus for a decisive goal in a passage of play 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 two in a subsequent league win before sustaining a serious knee injury, looks set to start for the first time since then setback. Arteta revealed the striker wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We're accustomed to it," said Arteta on the busy fixture list. "I think this week was the only full week we had to prepare. The rest until February at least is will be similar. We have a beautiful chance to go into the last four of a tournament so we will be prepared."

With key players coming back from injury and a determination to advance, Arsenal present a daunting test for a Crystal Palace side desperately in need of a spark as the holiday period ramps up.