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One might excuse Oliver Glasner for preferring to spend a restful few days with his loved ones in Austria before Christmas, instead of preparing for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth match of the season—a League Cup last-eight clash with Arsenal. Yet, the idea that Palace could focus on other tournaments was quickly rejected by their manager.

"Absolutely not, I don't think so," declared Glasner after his team's side's 4-1 loss to Leeds. "If somebody informs me that we are defeated deliberately, the following day I'm not the coach any more."

There exists a marked difference in Glasner's strategy to domestic cup tournaments compared to his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This first was evident during Palace's journey to the Carabao Cup last eight in his debut full season in command. Under Hodgson, the team had previously been eliminated from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner selected his first-choice side for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a encounter with Arsenal.

That prior quarter-final tie ended in a three-two defeat at the Emirates Stadium, following a rather debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having been ahead at the interval. Now, Glasner now faces the task to devise a strategy for payback against the current Premier League leaders in a match that was rescheduled to this week owing to European obligations.

The Price of Achievement and European Fatigue

Glasner has, in a way, been a victim of his own achievements. Guiding Palace to their first major trophy with a win in the FA Cup final has brought the challenges of continental football for the very first time. These pressures are taking a toll on several weary players, many of whom have barely had a rest all term.

The manager deployed an completely different side, featuring four teenagers, in their final Conference League fixture. However, for the Arsenal clash, he admitted he will have "little choice" but to select the bulk of his preferred team, which appeared extremely jaded as they unusually let in four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Have to. Yes, have to," he said.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Team Considerations

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are distinct. The manager must balance his desire to win a another major trophy with extreme practicality. Last year, a muscle injury to Bukayo Saka suffered in a league game against Palace only days after their Carabao Cup fightback significantly damaged their title hopes.

Arteta had implemented several changes for that cup match but was forced to bring on his "big-hitters" after the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to set up Jesus for a decisive goal in a move that left Glasner "incensed" over a potential offside, with no VAR in operation—a situation that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-game winning run versus Palace, including seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup meeting and a brace in a subsequent league win before suffering a long-term knee injury, is expected to begin for the first time since then setback. Arteta revealed the striker wrote a "beautiful" letter to his teammates about what football means to him.

"We're used to it," said Arteta on the busy fixture list. "I think this week was the sole complete week we had to prepare. The period until February at least is will be like this. We have a beautiful opportunity to go into the last four of a tournament so we will be prepared."

With important players returning from injury and a desire to progress, Arsenal pose a daunting test for a Palace side desperately in need of rejuvenation as the festive schedule intensifies.