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You could forgive Oliver Glasner for preferring to enjoy a quiet period with his loved ones in Austria ahead of Christmas, instead of gearing up for Crystal Palace's 29th match of the campaign—a League Cup last-eight clash against Arsenal. Yet, the idea that Palace could prioritize other competitions was swiftly rejected by their head coach.

"Absolutely not, I don't think so," declared Glasner after his team's side's four-one hammering to Leeds. "Should somebody tells me that we are defeated deliberately, the next day I'm not the manager anymore."

There exists a stark difference in Glasner's approach to cup competitions relative to his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This first became clear during Palace's journey to the Carabao Cup last eight in his first full season in command. Under Hodgson, the team had previously been eliminated from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner fielded his best side for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a showdown with Arsenal.

That previous last-eight match concluded in a 3-2 defeat at the Emirates Stadium, following a slightly 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 devise a strategy for revenge versus the present Premier League leaders in a match that was rescheduled to this week owing to European obligations.

A Price of Achievement and European Fatigue

Glasner has, in a way, been a victim of his own success. Guiding Palace to their first major trophy with a win in the FA Cup final subsequently ushered in the demands of continental football for the first time. These demands are taking a toll on several weary squad members, many of whom have barely had a rest all season.

The coach fielded an completely changed lineup, featuring four teenagers, in their final Conference League fixture. Yet, for the Arsenal game, he admitted he will have "no option" but to choose the majority of his first-choice team, which looked extremely jaded as they uncharacteristically let in four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Must. Yes, must," he said.

Arsenal's Perspective and Selection Dilemmas

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are distinct. The manager must juggle his desire to win a second major trophy with extreme pragmatism. The previous season, a muscle injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game against Palace just days after their Carabao Cup fightback significantly harmed their title aspirations.

Arteta had made a number of changes for that cup tie but was compelled to introduce his "key players" following the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to set up Jesus for a crucial goal in a passage of play that left Glasner "incensed" over a potential offside, with no VAR in operation—a scenario that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-match unbeaten streak versus Palace, featuring seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup meeting and two in a later league win before suffering a serious knee injury, looks set to begin for the first time since then injury. Arteta revealed the striker wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We are used to it," commented Arteta on the busy fixture list. "I think this week was the sole complete week we had to prepare. The period until February at least is going to be similar. We have a wonderful chance to go into the last four of a competition so we will be ready."

Amid important players coming back from injury and a desire to advance, Arsenal pose a formidable challenge for a Palace side desperately in need of rejuvenation as the festive period ramps up.