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One might excuse Oliver Glasner for wishing to enjoy a restful few days with his loved ones in Austria before Christmas, rather than gearing up for Crystal Palace's 29th match of the campaign—a League Cup last-eight clash with Arsenal. Yet, the idea that Palace might prioritize other competitions was firmly rejected by their manager.

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

There exists a marked contrast in Glasner's approach to cup tournaments versus his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This first was evident during Palace's run to the League Cup last eight in his debut full season in command. Under Hodgson, the club had already been eliminated from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner fielded his best lineup for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a showdown with Arsenal.

That prior quarter-final match concluded in a 3-2 loss at the Emirates Stadium, following a somewhat debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having led at half-time. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner now faces the task to devise a plan for revenge versus the present Premier League pace-setters in a match that was moved to this week because of European commitments.

The Cost of Success and Continental Exhaustion

Glasner has, in a way, been a casualty of his own achievements. Leading Palace to their first major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final has ushered in the challenges of European football for the very first time. These demands are catching up with several exhausted squad members, many of whom have barely enjoyed a break all term.

The coach fielded an entirely changed lineup, including four teenagers, in their last Conference League fixture. However, for the Arsenal game, he admitted he will have "little choice" but to choose the majority of his first-choice team, which appeared decidedly jaded as they unusually conceded four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Must. Yes, must," he stated.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Team Considerations

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are distinct. The boss must juggle his ambition to win a second major trophy with considerable practicality. Last year, a muscle injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game against Palace only days after their Carabao Cup comeback significantly damaged their title aspirations.

Arteta had made a number of changes for that League Cup match but was forced to bring on his "big-hitters" following the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to assist Jesus for a decisive goal in a move that left Glasner "incensed" over a possible offside, with no VAR available—a scenario that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-game winning run versus Palace, including seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup meeting and a brace in a subsequent league win before sustaining a serious knee injury, looks set to begin 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 used to it," commented Arteta on the busy fixture list. "In my view this week was the sole full week we had to get ready. The rest until February at least is will be similar. We have a wonderful opportunity to go into the semi-final of a tournament so we will be ready."

With important players returning from injury and a desire to progress, Arsenal pose a formidable challenge for a Palace side urgently in need of rejuvenation as the festive period ramps up.