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One might excuse Oliver Glasner for preferring to enjoy a restful few days with his family 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. However, the suggestion that Palace could focus on other competitions was firmly rejected by their boss.

"No, I don't think so," declared Glasner following his team's side's four-one defeat to Leeds. "If somebody informs me that we lose deliberately, the next day I'm no longer the manager anymore."

There exists a clear contrast in Glasner's approach to cup competitions versus his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This first became clear during Palace's run to the League Cup quarter-finals in his first complete campaign in charge. Under Hodgson, the club had previously been knocked out from each of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner picked his best lineup for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a showdown with Arsenal.

That prior last-eight match concluded 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 devise a plan for revenge against the present Premier League pace-setters in a fixture that was rescheduled to this week owing to European commitments.

A Cost of Achievement and Continental Fatigue

Glasner has, in a way, been a casualty of his own achievements. Guiding Palace to their maiden major trophy with a win in the FA Cup final has brought the challenges of continental football for the first time. These demands are catching up with several exhausted squad members, many of whom have barely had a rest all term.

The coach deployed an entirely changed lineup, including four teenagers, in their final Conference League match. Yet, for the Arsenal clash, he conceded he will have "no option" but to select the majority of his first-choice side, which appeared decidedly jaded as they uncharacteristically conceded four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Must. Yes, have to," he said.

The Gunners' Perspective and Selection Considerations

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are different. The manager must juggle his ambition to win a another major trophy with extreme practicality. Last year, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game versus Palace just days after their Carabao Cup fightback greatly damaged their title aspirations.

Arteta had implemented a number of changes for that League Cup tie but was compelled to bring on his "key players" following the break. Saka came off the bench to set up Jesus for a decisive goal in a move that left Glasner "incensed" over a possible offside, with no VAR in operation—a scenario that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-game unbeaten streak versus Palace, featuring seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in last season's League Cup encounter and a brace in a subsequent league win before sustaining a serious knee injury, is expected 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 are accustomed to it," said Arteta on the busy fixture list. "In my view this week was the sole full week we had to prepare. The period until February at least is going to be similar. We have a beautiful chance to go into the semi-final of a tournament so we will be prepared."

With important players coming back from injury and a determination to progress, Arsenal pose a formidable challenge for a Crystal Palace side urgently in need of rejuvenation as the holiday period ramps up.