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One might excuse Oliver Glasner for wishing to enjoy a quiet few days with his loved ones in Austria before Christmas, instead of gearing up for Crystal Palace's 29th fixture of the campaign—a League Cup quarter-final against Arsenal. Yet, the idea that Palace might prioritize other tournaments was quickly dismissed by their head coach.

"Absolutely not, I do not believe that," stated Glasner following his team's side's 4-1 defeat to Leeds. "If somebody informs me that we are defeated deliberately, the next day I'm not the coach anymore."

There is a stark difference in Glasner's philosophy to domestic cup competitions relative to his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This first was evident during Palace's run to the Carabao Cup last eight in his first full season in charge. Under Hodgson, the club had already been knocked out from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner picked his best side for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a showdown with Arsenal.

That prior last-eight tie concluded in a 3-2 defeat at the Emirates Stadium, following a rather debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having led at the interval. Now, Glasner must figure out a strategy for revenge versus the current Premier League pace-setters in a fixture that was moved to this week because of European obligations.

The Cost of Achievement and European Exhaustion

Glasner has, in a sense, been a casualty of his own success. Leading Palace to their first major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final has brought the demands of European football for the very first time. These demands are taking a toll on several fatigued squad members, many of whom have barely had a break all season.

The manager fielded an entirely changed team, including four teenagers, in their last Conference League match. Yet, ahead of the Arsenal clash, he conceded he will have "no option" but to pick the bulk of his preferred team, which looked decidedly lethargic as they uncharacteristically let in four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Must. Yes, have to," he said.

The Gunners' Viewpoint and Team Considerations

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

Arteta had implemented several changes for that League Cup tie but was compelled to introduce his "key players" after the break. Saka came off the bench to assist Jesus for a decisive goal in a move that left Glasner "incensed" over a potential offside, with no VAR available—a situation that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-game winning run versus Palace, featuring seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in last season's League Cup meeting and two in a subsequent league win before suffering a long-term knee injury, is expected to start for the first since that injury. Arteta disclosed 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 sole full 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 semi-final of a tournament so we will be ready."

Amid key players returning from injury and a desire to advance, Arsenal present a daunting challenge for a Crystal Palace side urgently in need of rejuvenation as the holiday schedule ramps up.