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One might forgive Oliver Glasner for wishing to enjoy a quiet period with his family in Austria before Christmas, rather than gearing up for Crystal Palace's 29th game of the season—a League Cup quarter-final against Arsenal. Yet, the suggestion that Palace could prioritize other competitions was firmly rejected by their head coach.

"No, I do not believe that," declared Glasner following his team's side's 4-1 hammering to Leeds. "If anyone informs me that we lose on purpose, the next day I'm no longer the coach any more."

There is a stark contrast in Glasner's approach to cup tournaments compared to his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This first became clear during Palace's run to the Carabao Cup last eight in his debut full season in charge. Under Hodgson, the team had previously been knocked out from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner fielded his strongest side for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a meeting with Arsenal.

That prior quarter-final tie concluded in a 3-2 defeat at the Emirates Stadium, due to a slightly debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having been ahead at half-time. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner now faces the task to figure out a strategy for payback against the present Premier League leaders in a fixture that was moved to this week because of European commitments.

The Price of Achievement and Continental Exhaustion

Glasner has, in a sense, been a victim of his own achievements. Leading Palace to their first major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final subsequently ushered in the demands of continental football for the very first time. These pressures are catching up with several fatigued players, many of whom have hardly enjoyed a break all season.

The coach deployed an completely different lineup, including four teenagers, in their final Conference League fixture. Yet, ahead of the Arsenal game, he admitted he will have "no option" but to choose the majority of his preferred side, which looked extremely lethargic as they unusually let in four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Have to. Yes, must," he said.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Selection Considerations

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are distinct. The manager must balance his ambition to win a second major trophy with extreme practicality. The previous season, a muscle injury to Bukayo Saka suffered in a league game versus Palace only days after their Carabao Cup comeback significantly harmed their title hopes.

Arteta had made a number of changes for that League Cup match but was compelled to introduce his "key players" after the break. Saka came off the bench to assist Jesus for a decisive goal in a move that left Glasner "furious" over a possible offside, with no VAR available—a situation that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-game winning run versus Palace, featuring seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in last season's League Cup meeting and a brace in a later league win before suffering a long-term knee injury, is expected to begin for the first since that injury. Arteta disclosed the striker wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We are accustomed to it," said Arteta on the busy schedule. "In my view this week was the sole full week we had to get ready. The period until February at least is will be like this. We have a wonderful chance to go into the last four of a tournament so we will be prepared."

With important players coming back from injury and a determination to advance, Arsenal pose a formidable test for a Crystal Palace side desperately in need of a spark as the holiday schedule intensifies.