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One might forgive Oliver Glasner for wishing to spend a quiet period with his family in Austria ahead of Christmas, rather than gearing up for Crystal Palace's 29th fixture of the campaign—a Carabao Cup last-eight clash against Arsenal. However, the notion that Palace might prioritize other tournaments was swiftly rejected by their boss.

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

There exists a stark difference in Glasner's philosophy to domestic cup tournaments relative to his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This first became clear during Palace's run to the League Cup quarter-finals in his debut full season in command. Under Hodgson, the club had previously been eliminated from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner selected his first-choice team for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a encounter with Arsenal.

That previous last-eight match ended in a three-two loss at the Emirates Stadium, following a somewhat debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having been ahead at the interval. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner now faces the task to figure out a plan for payback versus the current Premier League pace-setters in a fixture that was moved to this week owing to European commitments.

A Cost of Success and European Fatigue

Glasner has, in a way, been a victim of his own success. Leading Palace to their first major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final has ushered in the rigors of European football for the first time. These demands are taking a toll on several weary players, many of whom have barely enjoyed a rest all season.

The manager selected an completely different side, featuring four teenagers, in their last Conference League fixture. Yet, for the Arsenal clash, he conceded he will have "no option" but to pick the majority of his first-choice team, which looked decidedly jaded as they uncharacteristically let in four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Must. Yes, must," he stated.

The Gunners' Perspective and Selection Considerations

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are distinct. The boss must juggle his desire to win a second major trophy with considerable practicality. The previous season, a muscle injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game against Palace only days after their Carabao Cup comeback significantly damaged their title hopes.

Arteta had implemented several changes for that League Cup match but was compelled to introduce his "key players" after the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to set up Jesus for a decisive goal in a move that left Glasner "incensed" over a possible offside, with no VAR available—a scenario that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-match winning run versus Palace, including seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in last season's League Cup encounter and a brace in a subsequent league win before sustaining a serious knee injury, looks set to begin for the first since that injury. Arteta disclosed the striker wrote a "beautiful" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We are accustomed to it," commented Arteta on the congested schedule. "In my view this week was the sole complete week we had to prepare. The period until February at least is will be similar. We have a beautiful chance to go into the semi-final of a competition so we will be prepared."

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