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One might excuse Oliver Glasner for preferring to spend a quiet few days with his loved ones in Austria ahead of Christmas, instead of preparing for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth fixture of the season—a Carabao Cup last-eight clash with Arsenal. However, the idea that Palace could prioritize other tournaments was firmly rejected by their boss.

"No, I do not believe that," declared Glasner after his team's side's four-one defeat to Leeds. "Should somebody tells me that we lose deliberately, the following day I'm no longer the coach any more."

There exists a stark contrast in Glasner's approach to domestic cup competitions relative to his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This initially was evident during Palace's run to the League Cup quarter-finals in his debut full season in command. Under Hodgson, the team had already been knocked out from each of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner fielded his strongest 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 loss at the Emirates Stadium, following a slightly controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having led at the interval. Now, Glasner must devise a strategy for payback against the current Premier League leaders in a match that was moved to this week owing to European obligations.

The Price of Success and European Fatigue

Glasner has, in a way, been a casualty of his own achievements. Guiding Palace to their maiden major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final has ushered in the challenges of European football for the first time. These demands are taking a toll on some exhausted players, many of whom have hardly had a break all season.

The manager selected an completely changed side, featuring four teenagers, in their final Conference League match. Yet, ahead of the Arsenal clash, he conceded he will have "little choice" but to select the majority of his first-choice team, which looked extremely jaded as they uncharacteristically conceded four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Must. Yes, have to," he affirmed.

The Gunners' Viewpoint and Selection Considerations

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are distinct. The manager must juggle his ambition to win a second major trophy with considerable pragmatism. The previous season, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game versus Palace only days after their Carabao Cup comeback significantly damaged their title hopes.

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

Arsenal have an eight-match unbeaten streak against Palace, including seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup encounter and two in a later league win before suffering a serious knee injury, looks set to start for the first since that setback. Arteta revealed the striker wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football means to him.

"We are accustomed to it," commented Arteta on the congested fixture list. "In my view this week was the sole full week we had to get ready. The rest until February at least is going to be like this. We have a wonderful chance to go into the semi-final of a competition so we will be ready."

With key players coming back from injury and a determination to advance, Arsenal pose a formidable test for a Crystal Palace side urgently in need of a spark as the holiday schedule ramps up.