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One might excuse Oliver Glasner for preferring to spend a quiet period with his family in Austria before Christmas, rather than gearing up for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth fixture of the campaign—a League Cup quarter-final with Arsenal. However, the idea that Palace could focus on other tournaments was firmly rejected by their head coach.

"Absolutely not, I don't think so," stated Glasner following his team's side's four-one loss to Leeds. "If anyone tells me that we lose deliberately, the following day I'm no longer the manager any more."

There is a clear contrast in Glasner's philosophy to cup competitions compared to his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This first was evident during Palace's journey to the Carabao Cup last eight in his first full season in charge. Under Hodgson, the team had previously been knocked out from each of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when 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 encounter with Arsenal.

That prior quarter-final tie ended in a three-two defeat at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to a slightly debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having been ahead at half-time. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner now faces the task to figure out a plan for revenge against the present Premier League leaders in a match that was moved to this week because of European commitments.

A Price of Achievement and European Exhaustion

Glasner has, in a way, been a victim of his own achievements. Leading Palace to their maiden major trophy with a win in the FA Cup final subsequently brought the rigors of European football for the first time. These demands are taking a toll on several exhausted squad members, many of whom have barely had a rest all term.

The coach deployed an completely different lineup, including four teenagers, in their final Conference League fixture. However, for the Arsenal clash, he admitted he will have "no option" but to choose the majority of his preferred side, which appeared decidedly lethargic as they unusually conceded four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Have to. Yes, have to," he said.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Team Dilemmas

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are different. The boss must balance his ambition to win a second major trophy with extreme practicality. Last year, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game versus Palace only days after their Carabao Cup comeback significantly damaged their title aspirations.

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

Arsenal are on an eight-game winning run against Palace, including seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in last season's League Cup encounter and two in a later league win before sustaining a serious knee injury, looks set to start for the first since that injury. Arteta revealed the forward wrote a "beautiful" letter to his teammates about what football means to him.

"We are accustomed to it," commented Arteta on the congested fixture list. "I think this week was the sole complete week we had to prepare. The period until February at least is will be like this. We have a wonderful chance to go into the semi-final of a tournament so we will be prepared."

With key players coming back from injury and a desire to progress, Arsenal pose a formidable test for a Palace side desperately in need of rejuvenation as the festive schedule ramps up.