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One might excuse Oliver Glasner for wishing to enjoy a quiet few days with his loved ones in Austria ahead of Christmas, instead of gearing up for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth game of the campaign—a Carabao Cup quarter-final with Arsenal. However, the idea that Palace could focus on other tournaments was firmly rejected by their head coach.

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

There exists a clear difference in Glasner's philosophy to cup competitions versus his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This initially became clear during Palace's journey to the League Cup quarter-finals in his first full season in command. Under Hodgson, the team had previously been eliminated from each of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner fielded his first-choice team for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a showdown with Arsenal.

That previous quarter-final match concluded in a 3-2 loss at the Emirates Stadium, due to a slightly controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having led at the interval. Now, Glasner now faces the task to devise a plan for payback against the present Premier League leaders in a fixture that was rescheduled to this week owing to European obligations.

The Cost of Success and Continental Exhaustion

Glasner has, in a way, been a casualty of his own success. Guiding Palace to their maiden major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final has brought the challenges of continental football for the very first time. These demands are catching up with several weary squad members, many of whom have hardly enjoyed a break all season.

The manager selected an entirely changed side, including four teenagers, in their last Conference League match. Yet, ahead of the Arsenal clash, he conceded he will have "no option" but to select the bulk of his first-choice side, which appeared decidedly jaded as they uncharacteristically conceded four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Have to. Yes, must," he stated.

The Gunners' Perspective and Team Considerations

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are different. The boss must juggle his ambition to win a second major trophy with considerable practicality. The previous season, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game against Palace only days after their Carabao Cup comeback significantly harmed their title hopes.

Arteta had implemented several changes for that cup match but was forced to introduce his "big-hitters" following the break. Saka came off the bench to set up Jesus for a decisive goal in a passage of play that left Glasner "incensed" over a possible offside, with no VAR in operation—a scenario that will be the case again on Tuesday.

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

"We're used to it," commented Arteta on the congested schedule. "I think this week was the sole complete week we had to get ready. The period until February at least is going to be like this. We have a beautiful opportunity to go into the last four of a competition so we will be ready."

With key players returning from injury and a determination to progress, Arsenal present a formidable test for a Crystal Palace side desperately in need of rejuvenation as the holiday schedule intensifies.