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One might forgive Oliver Glasner for wishing to enjoy a restful few days with his loved ones in Austria ahead of Christmas, rather than preparing for Crystal Palace's 29th fixture of the season—a Carabao Cup quarter-final with Arsenal. Yet, the idea that Palace might focus on other tournaments was quickly rejected by their head coach.

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

There is a stark difference in Glasner's philosophy to domestic cup competitions compared to his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This first became clear during Palace's run to the League Cup quarter-finals in his first full season in charge. Under Hodgson, the team had previously been knocked out from each of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner picked his best side for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a encounter with Arsenal.

That prior quarter-final match concluded in a three-two defeat at the Emirates Stadium, due to a somewhat controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having been ahead at the interval. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner now faces the task to devise a strategy for payback versus the current Premier League leaders in a fixture that was moved to this week owing to European obligations.

A Cost of Achievement and Continental Exhaustion

Glasner has, in a sense, been a victim of his own achievements. Guiding Palace to their first major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final subsequently ushered in the demands of continental football for the first time. These pressures are catching up with several exhausted squad members, many of whom have hardly had a rest all season.

The coach selected an entirely changed side, featuring four teenagers, in their final Conference League fixture. However, for the Arsenal clash, he admitted he will have "little choice" but to pick the bulk of his first-choice team, which appeared extremely lethargic as they unusually let in four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Must. Yes, have to," he said.

Arsenal's Perspective and Team Considerations

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are distinct. The boss must balance his ambition to win a another major trophy with extreme pragmatism. Last year, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka suffered in a league game against Palace only days after their Carabao Cup comeback greatly damaged their title hopes.

Arteta had made a number of changes for that cup tie but was forced to bring on his "big-hitters" following the break. Saka came off the bench to set up Jesus for a crucial goal in a passage of play that left Glasner "furious" over a potential offside, with no VAR available—a situation that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-match winning streak versus Palace, featuring seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup encounter and two 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 forward wrote a "beautiful" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We are used to it," commented Arteta on the congested schedule. "I think this week was the only complete week we had to get ready. The period until February at least is will be similar. We have a beautiful opportunity 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 pose a formidable challenge for a Palace side urgently in need of rejuvenation as the festive period intensifies.