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You could forgive Oliver Glasner for preferring to spend a quiet few days with his loved ones in Austria ahead of Christmas, rather than gearing up for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth game of the season—a Carabao Cup last-eight clash against Arsenal. However, the suggestion that Palace could prioritize other competitions was quickly dismissed by their boss.

"Absolutely not, I do not believe that," remarked Glasner following his team's side's four-one hammering to Leeds. "If somebody informs me that we lose deliberately, the next day I'm no longer the manager anymore."

There is a stark difference in Glasner's strategy to cup competitions relative to his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This initially became clear during Palace's journey to the Carabao Cup last eight in his debut complete campaign in charge. Under Hodgson, the club had already been eliminated from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner fielded his best team for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a showdown with Arsenal.

That prior last-eight match ended in a 3-2 defeat at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to a somewhat controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having led at half-time. Now, Glasner must figure out a plan for revenge versus the current Premier League pace-setters in a match that was moved to this week because of European obligations.

The Cost of Achievement and Continental Fatigue

Glasner has, in a sense, been a victim of his own success. Leading Palace to their maiden major trophy with a win in the FA Cup final has brought the rigors of continental football for the very first time. These pressures are taking a toll on some weary players, many of whom have barely enjoyed a rest all season.

The manager selected an entirely changed lineup, featuring four teenagers, in their final Conference League match. Yet, for the Arsenal game, he conceded he will have "no option" but to choose the majority of his first-choice side, which appeared decidedly lethargic as they uncharacteristically let in four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Must. Yes, must," he stated.

The Gunners' Viewpoint and Selection Considerations

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are different. The manager must balance his desire to win a another major trophy with considerable practicality. The previous season, a muscle injury to Bukayo Saka suffered in a league game versus Palace just days after their Carabao Cup fightback greatly damaged their title hopes.

Arteta had implemented several changes for that cup match but was forced to bring on his "key players" 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 scenario that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-match unbeaten run against Palace, featuring seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup meeting and a brace in a subsequent league win before suffering a long-term knee injury, is expected to start for the first time since then injury. Arteta revealed the forward wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football means to him.

"We're used to it," commented Arteta on the busy fixture list. "I think this week was the sole full week we had to prepare. The rest until February at least is going to be like this. We have a wonderful chance to go into the last four of a tournament so we will be prepared."

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