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One might excuse Oliver Glasner for wishing to spend a quiet few days with his loved ones in Austria ahead of Christmas, instead of gearing up for Crystal Palace's 29th fixture of the campaign—a League Cup quarter-final against Arsenal. Yet, the notion that Palace could prioritize other tournaments was firmly rejected by their boss.

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

There is a clear contrast in Glasner's approach to cup tournaments relative to his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This first became clear during Palace's journey to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals in his debut complete campaign in charge. Under Hodgson, the team had already been knocked out from each of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner picked his best side for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a encounter with Arsenal.

That previous last-eight tie concluded in a 3-2 loss at the Emirates Stadium, due to a somewhat debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having been ahead at the interval. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner now faces the task to figure out a plan for revenge versus the present Premier League pace-setters in a fixture that was rescheduled to this week because of European obligations.

The Price of Achievement and Continental Fatigue

Glasner has, in a sense, been a victim of his own achievements. Guiding Palace to their maiden major trophy with a win in the FA Cup final has brought the rigors of European football for the first time. These demands are taking a toll on several fatigued players, many of whom have hardly had a rest all season.

The manager deployed an entirely changed side, including four teenagers, in their last Conference League match. Yet, ahead of the Arsenal game, he admitted he will have "no option" but to pick the bulk of his preferred team, which looked decidedly lethargic as they unusually conceded four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Must. Yes, have to," he said.

The Gunners' Viewpoint and Selection Dilemmas

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are distinct. The manager must balance his desire to win a second major trophy with considerable practicality. Last year, a muscle injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game versus Palace only days after their Carabao Cup fightback significantly harmed their title aspirations.

Arteta had made several changes for that League Cup match but was compelled to introduce his "big-hitters" following the break. Saka came off the bench to set up Jesus for a crucial 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 have an eight-game unbeaten run against Palace, including seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup encounter and a brace in a later league win before suffering a long-term knee injury, is expected to start for the first since then setback. Arteta revealed the striker wrote a "beautiful" letter to his teammates about what football means to him.

"We are accustomed to it," said Arteta on the busy fixture list. "I think this week was the sole full week we had to get ready. The period 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."

With important players returning from injury and a determination to progress, Arsenal pose a daunting challenge for a Crystal Palace side urgently in need of a spark as the holiday schedule intensifies.