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One might forgive Oliver Glasner for preferring to spend a quiet few days with his loved ones in Austria before Christmas, rather than gearing up for Crystal Palace's 29th game of the campaign—a League Cup last-eight clash against Arsenal. However, the idea that Palace might prioritize other tournaments was firmly rejected by their manager.

"No, I don't think so," remarked Glasner following his team's side's 4-1 defeat to Leeds. "Should somebody informs me that we lose on purpose, the following day I'm not the coach anymore."

There exists a stark contrast in Glasner's strategy to domestic cup competitions versus his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This first became clear during Palace's journey to the League Cup quarter-finals in his debut full season in command. Under Hodgson, the team had previously been knocked out from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner selected his strongest team for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a showdown with Arsenal.

That prior last-eight tie ended in a three-two defeat at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to a rather debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having been ahead at the interval. Now, Glasner must figure out a strategy for revenge versus the present Premier League pace-setters in a fixture that was moved to this week because of European commitments.

The Cost of Success and Continental Fatigue

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

The coach fielded an entirely different team, featuring four youngsters, in their final Conference League fixture. Yet, ahead of the Arsenal game, he admitted he will have "little choice" but to select the majority of his preferred team, which looked decidedly lethargic as they uncharacteristically conceded four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Have to. Yes, have to," he stated.

The Gunners' Viewpoint and Selection Considerations

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are different. The boss must balance his ambition to win a another major trophy with considerable pragmatism. Last year, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game versus Palace just days after their Carabao Cup comeback significantly harmed their title aspirations.

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

Arsenal are on an eight-match winning run against Palace, including seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in last season's League Cup encounter and two in a subsequent league win before suffering a serious knee injury, is expected 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 are accustomed to it," commented Arteta on the congested fixture list. "I think this week was the only complete week we had to get ready. The rest until February at least is will be similar. We have a wonderful chance to go into the semi-final of a tournament so we will be ready."

Amid important players returning from injury and a determination to advance, Arsenal pose a formidable challenge for a Crystal Palace side desperately in need of a spark as the festive period intensifies.