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You could excuse Oliver Glasner for wishing to spend a restful period with his family in Austria ahead of Christmas, rather than preparing for Crystal Palace's 29th game of the season—a League Cup quarter-final against Arsenal. However, the suggestion that Palace could prioritize other tournaments was swiftly rejected by their boss.

"Absolutely not, I do not believe that," remarked Glasner following his team's side's 4-1 hammering to Leeds. "Should anyone informs me that we lose on purpose, the following day I'm not the coach anymore."

There is a clear contrast in Glasner's strategy to cup competitions versus his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This first was evident during Palace's run to the League Cup quarter-finals in his first full season in charge. Under Hodgson, the team had already been eliminated from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner selected his best team for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a encounter with Arsenal.

That previous last-eight tie ended in a 3-2 loss at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to a somewhat controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having been ahead at the interval. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner must devise a plan for revenge versus the current Premier League leaders in a fixture that was rescheduled to this week owing to European obligations.

The Cost of Achievement and Continental Exhaustion

Glasner has, in a way, been a casualty of his own achievements. Leading Palace to their maiden 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 taking a toll on several exhausted squad members, many of whom have hardly enjoyed a rest all term.

The coach fielded an completely different lineup, including four youngsters, in their last Conference League match. Yet, ahead of the Arsenal clash, he conceded he will have "little choice" but to pick the bulk of his preferred side, which looked extremely lethargic as they uncharacteristically conceded four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Must. Yes, have to," he affirmed.

The Gunners' Perspective and Selection Considerations

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are distinct. The manager must balance his ambition to win a second major trophy with extreme practicality. The previous season, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game versus Palace only days after their Carabao Cup comeback greatly damaged their title aspirations.

Arteta had made a number of changes for that League Cup tie but was forced to introduce his "key players" following the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to assist Jesus for a crucial goal in a passage of play that left Glasner "incensed" over a possible offside, with no VAR in operation—a scenario that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-game unbeaten run versus Palace, featuring seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who scored 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 that injury. Arteta disclosed the forward wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football means to him.

"We're used to it," said Arteta on the busy schedule. "In my view this week was the only complete week we had to prepare. The rest until February at least is will be like this. We have a beautiful chance to go into the last four of a competition so we will be prepared."

With key players coming back from injury and a desire to advance, Arsenal pose a formidable test for a Crystal Palace side desperately in need of a spark as the holiday period intensifies.