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You could forgive Oliver Glasner for preferring to spend a restful few days with his family in Austria before Christmas, rather than preparing for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth game of the season—a Carabao Cup last-eight clash against Arsenal. However, the notion that Palace might focus on other tournaments was firmly dismissed by their boss.

"No, I do not believe that," remarked Glasner after his team's side's 4-1 loss to Leeds. "If anyone informs me that we lose deliberately, the following day I'm not the manager any more."

There exists a clear difference in Glasner's strategy to domestic cup competitions compared to his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This initially was evident during Palace's journey to the League Cup quarter-finals in his debut full season in charge. Under Hodgson, the team had already been eliminated from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner picked his first-choice lineup for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a encounter with Arsenal.

That previous last-eight match ended in a 3-2 loss at the Emirates Stadium, due to a slightly debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having been ahead at the interval. Now, Glasner now faces the task to devise a plan for payback versus the current Premier League pace-setters in a fixture that was rescheduled to this week owing to European obligations.

A Cost of Achievement and European Exhaustion

Glasner has, in a way, been a casualty of his own success. Leading Palace to their maiden major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final subsequently brought the rigors of European football for the very first time. These pressures are catching up with some fatigued squad members, many of whom have barely had a rest all term.

The manager fielded an completely changed team, including four teenagers, in their final Conference League match. Yet, ahead of the Arsenal game, he admitted he will have "no option" but to select the bulk of his preferred team, which appeared decidedly lethargic as they uncharacteristically conceded four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Have to. Yes, must," he affirmed.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Team Considerations

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are distinct. The boss must juggle his desire to win a another major trophy with considerable pragmatism. The previous season, a muscle injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game against Palace only days after their Carabao Cup comeback significantly damaged their title hopes.

Arteta had implemented a number of changes for that League Cup tie but was compelled to bring on his "key players" after the break. Saka came off the bench to set up Jesus for a crucial goal in a move that left Glasner "incensed" over a possible offside, with no VAR in operation—a situation that will be the case again on Tuesday.

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

"We are used to it," commented Arteta on the congested fixture list. "I think this week was the sole complete week we had to prepare. The rest until February at least is will be like this. We have a beautiful 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 present a formidable challenge for a Crystal Palace side desperately in need of a spark as the festive period intensifies.