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One might excuse Oliver Glasner for wishing to spend a restful period with his family in Austria before Christmas, rather than gearing up for Crystal Palace's 29th match of the season—a Carabao Cup last-eight clash with Arsenal. However, the idea that Palace could prioritize other tournaments was swiftly dismissed by their manager.

"Absolutely not, I don't think so," remarked Glasner after his team's side's four-one hammering to Leeds. "Should somebody tells me that we lose on purpose, the following day I'm not the coach any more."

There is a stark contrast in Glasner's strategy to domestic cup tournaments compared to his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This first became clear during Palace's run to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals 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 fielded his best side for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a showdown with Arsenal.

That prior quarter-final match ended in a three-two loss at the Emirates Stadium, following a somewhat controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having been ahead at the interval. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner must figure out a strategy for payback against the current Premier League leaders in a fixture that was rescheduled to this week owing to European commitments.

The Cost of Achievement and European Exhaustion

Glasner has, in a sense, been a victim of his own success. Guiding Palace to their first major trophy with a win in the FA Cup final has ushered in the demands of European football for the first time. These demands are taking a toll on some exhausted squad members, many of whom have hardly enjoyed a rest all term.

The coach deployed an entirely changed lineup, featuring four youngsters, in their final Conference League fixture. Yet, ahead of the Arsenal game, he admitted he will have "no option" but to choose the bulk of his preferred side, which looked decidedly lethargic as they unusually conceded four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Have to. Yes, have to," he said.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Selection Considerations

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are distinct. The boss must juggle his ambition to win a another 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 greatly damaged their title aspirations.

Arteta had made several changes for that League Cup match but was forced to bring on his "big-hitters" 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 situation that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-game winning run against Palace, featuring seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in last season's League Cup encounter and two in a later league win before suffering a long-term knee injury, looks set to begin for the first time since that setback. Arteta revealed the striker wrote a "beautiful" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We're accustomed to it," said Arteta on the congested fixture list. "I think this week was the sole complete week we had to get ready. The rest until February at least is will be similar. We have a beautiful opportunity to go into the last four of a tournament so we will be ready."

With important players coming back from injury and a determination to advance, Arsenal present a daunting test for a Crystal Palace side desperately in need of a spark as the holiday period intensifies.