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You could forgive Oliver Glasner for wishing to spend a quiet few days with his loved ones in Austria before Christmas, instead of gearing up for Crystal Palace's 29th fixture of the campaign—a League Cup quarter-final with Arsenal. Yet, the idea that Palace could prioritize other competitions was quickly dismissed by their boss.

"Absolutely not, I don't think so," declared Glasner following his team's side's four-one loss to Leeds. "Should anyone tells me that we are defeated deliberately, the following day I'm no longer the coach anymore."

There is a stark difference in Glasner's approach to domestic cup tournaments versus his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This initially was evident during Palace's journey to the League Cup last eight 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 when Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner fielded his first-choice team for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a encounter with Arsenal.

That previous quarter-final match concluded in a three-two loss at the Emirates Stadium, following a slightly controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having been ahead at half-time. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner must figure out a strategy for payback versus the current Premier League leaders in a match that was moved to this week owing to European obligations.

The Cost of Achievement and European Fatigue

Glasner has, in a sense, been a victim of his own achievements. Leading Palace to their maiden major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final has brought the demands of continental football for the first time. These pressures are catching up with some exhausted squad members, many of whom have hardly had a break all term.

The coach deployed an completely changed side, including four teenagers, in their last Conference League match. Yet, ahead of the Arsenal clash, he admitted he will have "no option" but to pick the bulk of his first-choice side, which looked decidedly jaded as they unusually let in four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Must. Yes, have to," he affirmed.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Team Considerations

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are different. The manager 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 against Palace only days after their Carabao Cup comeback significantly damaged their title hopes.

Arteta had implemented several changes for that cup match but was compelled to introduce his "key players" following the break. Saka came off the bench to assist Jesus for a decisive goal in a passage of play that left Glasner "incensed" over a possible offside, with no VAR in operation—a situation that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-game winning run against Palace, featuring seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup meeting and a brace in a subsequent league win before sustaining a long-term knee injury, is expected to begin for the first since that setback. Arteta revealed the forward wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We're accustomed to it," commented Arteta on the busy schedule. "In my view this week was the only full week we had to prepare. The rest until February at least is going to be similar. We have a wonderful chance to go into the semi-final of a competition so we will be prepared."

Amid important players coming back 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.