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You could 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 game of the season—a League Cup quarter-final with Arsenal. However, the idea that Palace could focus on other tournaments was quickly rejected by their manager.

"No, I don't think so," remarked Glasner after his team's side's four-one hammering to Leeds. "Should anyone informs me that we lose on purpose, the following day I'm no longer the manager anymore."

There exists a clear contrast in Glasner's approach to domestic cup tournaments versus his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This initially became clear during Palace's run to the League Cup quarter-finals in his first full season in command. Under Hodgson, the club had previously been eliminated from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner picked his best side for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a encounter with Arsenal.

That previous quarter-final match concluded in a 3-2 defeat at the Emirates Stadium, due to a slightly controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having been ahead at the interval. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner must figure out a strategy for revenge versus the current Premier League leaders in a match that was moved to this week owing to European commitments.

A Cost of Achievement and Continental Exhaustion

Glasner has, in a sense, been a casualty of his own achievements. Leading Palace to their maiden major trophy with a win in the FA Cup final has ushered in the demands of European football for the very first time. These pressures are taking a toll on several fatigued squad members, many of whom have hardly had a rest all season.

The coach deployed an entirely changed lineup, featuring four teenagers, in their final Conference League match. However, for the Arsenal game, he conceded he will have "little choice" but to pick the majority of his first-choice team, which appeared decidedly jaded as they unusually let in four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Have to. Yes, must," he said.

Arsenal's Perspective and Team Considerations

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are different. The boss must juggle his desire 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 significantly harmed their title aspirations.

Arteta had implemented several changes for that cup tie but was compelled to bring on his "big-hitters" after the break. Saka came off the bench to set up Jesus for a crucial goal in a move that left Glasner "incensed" over a potential offside, with no VAR available—a situation that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-match winning run versus Palace, including seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup meeting and two in a subsequent league win before sustaining a long-term knee injury, looks set to begin for the first since then injury. Arteta disclosed the forward wrote a "beautiful" letter to his teammates about what football means to him.

"We are accustomed to it," said Arteta on the busy fixture list. "In my view this week was the only full week we had to prepare. 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 key players coming back from injury and a determination to advance, Arsenal present a daunting test for a Crystal Palace side desperately in need of rejuvenation as the festive period intensifies.