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You could forgive Oliver Glasner for wishing to spend a restful few days with his loved ones in Austria ahead of Christmas, instead of preparing for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth match of the campaign—a Carabao Cup last-eight clash with Arsenal. However, the idea that Palace might focus on other competitions was quickly rejected by their head coach.

"No, I do not believe that," declared Glasner after his team's side's four-one hammering to Leeds. "If anyone tells me that we are defeated on purpose, the following day I'm no longer the manager any more."

There is a clear contrast in Glasner's strategy to cup tournaments relative to his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This initially became clear during Palace's journey to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals in his first full season in command. Under Hodgson, the club had previously been knocked out from each of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner selected his strongest lineup for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a encounter with Arsenal.

That previous quarter-final match ended in a three-two loss at the Emirates Stadium, following a somewhat debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having been ahead at the interval. 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 fixture that was rescheduled to this week owing to European obligations.

A Cost of Success and European Exhaustion

Glasner has, in a sense, been a casualty of his own success. Guiding Palace to their first major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final subsequently ushered in the challenges of continental football for the very first time. These pressures are taking a toll on several weary players, many of whom have barely enjoyed a rest all term.

The manager fielded an completely different side, including four teenagers, in their last Conference League fixture. However, for the Arsenal clash, he admitted he will have "little choice" but to choose the bulk of his preferred team, which appeared decidedly lethargic as they uncharacteristically let in four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Have to. Yes, have to," he stated.

The Gunners' Perspective and Selection Considerations

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are distinct. The manager must juggle his ambition to win a another major trophy with considerable pragmatism. The previous season, a muscle injury to Bukayo Saka suffered in a league game versus Palace only days after their Carabao Cup comeback greatly damaged their title hopes.

Arteta had made several changes for that cup tie but was compelled to bring on his "big-hitters" following the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to set up Jesus for a decisive goal in a move that left Glasner "furious" over a potential offside, with no VAR in operation—a scenario that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-game winning streak against Palace, including seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup meeting and two in a subsequent league win before suffering a long-term knee injury, looks set to begin for the first since that setback. Arteta revealed the striker wrote a "beautiful" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We're used to it," commented Arteta on the congested fixture list. "I think this week was the sole full week we had to get ready. The rest until February at least is going to be like this. We have a wonderful opportunity to go into the semi-final of a tournament so we will be prepared."

Amid key players returning from injury and a determination to advance, Arsenal pose a daunting challenge for a Palace side urgently in need of a spark as the festive schedule intensifies.