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One might excuse Oliver Glasner for preferring to enjoy a restful few days with his loved ones in Austria ahead of Christmas, instead of gearing up for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth game of the season—a League Cup quarter-final with Arsenal. Yet, the suggestion that Palace might prioritize other tournaments was swiftly rejected by their head coach.

"Absolutely not, I don't think so," declared Glasner following his team's side's 4-1 loss to Leeds. "Should anyone informs me that we lose deliberately, the next day I'm not the coach any more."

There is a stark difference in Glasner's approach to domestic cup competitions compared to his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This initially was evident during Palace's journey to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals in his first complete campaign 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. In contrast, Glasner selected his best team for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a showdown with Arsenal.

That prior last-eight tie concluded in a three-two loss at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to a rather controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having led at the interval. Now, Glasner must figure out a strategy for payback versus the current Premier League leaders in a match that was moved to this week because of European commitments.

A Price 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 a win in the FA Cup final has ushered in the rigors of European football for the very first time. These demands are catching up with several weary players, many of whom have hardly had a rest all season.

The manager deployed an entirely different lineup, featuring four youngsters, in their final Conference League fixture. Yet, ahead of the Arsenal game, he conceded he will have "no option" but to pick the bulk of his first-choice side, which appeared extremely lethargic as they unusually conceded four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Have to. Yes, must," he stated.

Arsenal's Perspective and Selection Considerations

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are different. The boss must juggle his desire to win a second major trophy with extreme pragmatism. Last year, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game versus Palace just days after their Carabao Cup comeback significantly harmed their title hopes.

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

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

"We're used to it," said Arteta on the busy schedule. "I think this week was the sole complete week we had to get ready. The rest until February at least is going to be similar. We have a wonderful opportunity to go into the last four of a tournament so we will be ready."

Amid key players returning from injury and a desire to progress, Arsenal pose a formidable test for a Palace side urgently in need of a spark as the festive schedule intensifies.