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One might forgive Oliver Glasner for preferring to spend a quiet few days with his family in Austria ahead of Christmas, rather than gearing up for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth fixture of the campaign—a League Cup last-eight clash with Arsenal. However, the suggestion that Palace could focus on other tournaments was firmly rejected by their manager.

"Absolutely not, I do not believe that," remarked Glasner following his team's side's 4-1 hammering to Leeds. "If somebody informs me that we are defeated deliberately, the following day I'm no longer the coach anymore."

There is a marked contrast in Glasner's approach to domestic cup tournaments relative to his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This initially was evident during Palace's run to the League Cup last eight in his first full season in charge. Under Hodgson, the club had already been eliminated from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner picked his first-choice team for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a meeting with Arsenal.

That prior last-eight tie ended in a 3-2 defeat at the Emirates Stadium, due to a slightly controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having been ahead at the interval. Now, Glasner now faces the task to figure out a strategy for payback versus the present Premier League leaders in a fixture that was moved to this week owing to European obligations.

A Cost of Success and European Fatigue

Glasner has, in a way, been a victim of his own achievements. Guiding Palace to their maiden major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final subsequently ushered in the demands of continental football for the very first time. These pressures are taking a toll on some weary squad members, many of whom have barely had a break all term.

The manager selected an completely different team, featuring four youngsters, in their final Conference League fixture. Yet, ahead of the Arsenal clash, he admitted he will have "no option" but to pick the majority of his preferred team, which appeared decidedly jaded as they uncharacteristically let in four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Have to. Yes, must," he said.

Arsenal's Perspective and Team Dilemmas

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are distinct. The manager must balance his ambition to win a second major trophy with extreme pragmatism. The previous season, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka suffered in a league game versus Palace only days after their Carabao Cup fightback greatly damaged their title hopes.

Arteta had implemented several changes for that League Cup tie but was forced to bring on his "big-hitters" after the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to assist Jesus for a crucial goal in a passage of play that left Glasner "furious" over a possible offside, with no VAR available—a scenario that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-game unbeaten streak against Palace, featuring seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in last season's League Cup meeting and two in a subsequent league win before suffering a serious knee injury, looks set to begin for the first time since then injury. Arteta revealed the forward wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

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

With important players returning from injury and a desire to progress, Arsenal present a formidable test for a Palace side urgently in need of rejuvenation as the festive period ramps up.