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One might excuse Oliver Glasner for wishing to spend a restful period with his loved ones in Austria ahead of Christmas, instead of preparing for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth match of the season—a League Cup last-eight clash against Arsenal. Yet, the suggestion that Palace could focus on other competitions was quickly dismissed by their boss.

"Absolutely not, I don't think so," remarked Glasner after his team's side's 4-1 defeat to Leeds. "If somebody tells me that we are defeated deliberately, the next day I'm no longer the coach anymore."

There exists a stark difference in Glasner's strategy to domestic cup competitions compared to his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This first became clear during Palace's journey to the Carabao Cup last eight in his first full season in charge. Under Hodgson, the club had previously been eliminated from each of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner fielded his first-choice side for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a encounter with Arsenal.

That previous quarter-final tie ended in a three-two loss at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to 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 figure out a strategy for payback against the current Premier League pace-setters in a fixture that was rescheduled to this week because of European obligations.

A Cost of Achievement and Continental Fatigue

Glasner has, in a way, been a victim of his own achievements. Leading Palace to their maiden major trophy with a win in the FA Cup final has ushered in the challenges of European football for the very first time. These demands are catching up with some weary squad members, many of whom have hardly had a break all term.

The manager deployed an entirely changed side, including four youngsters, in their last Conference League fixture. Yet, for the Arsenal clash, he conceded he will have "little choice" but to choose the majority of his preferred team, which looked extremely lethargic as they uncharacteristically conceded four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Must. Yes, have to," he stated.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Team Dilemmas

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are distinct. The boss must balance his ambition to win a second major trophy with extreme pragmatism. Last year, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka suffered in a league game versus Palace just days after their Carabao Cup fightback significantly damaged their title aspirations.

Arteta had implemented several changes for that cup match but was compelled to bring on his "key players" following 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 scenario that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-game winning streak versus Palace, featuring seven wins. 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 long-term knee injury, looks set to begin for the first since then setback. Arteta revealed the striker wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We are accustomed to it," commented Arteta on the busy schedule. "In my view this week was the only full week we had to get ready. The rest until February at least is going to be like this. We have a beautiful opportunity to go into the semi-final of a tournament so we will be prepared."

With key players returning from injury and a desire to advance, Arsenal pose a daunting challenge for a Palace side desperately in need of rejuvenation as the holiday schedule intensifies.