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One might excuse Oliver Glasner for wishing 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 last-eight clash against Arsenal. However, the notion that Palace might focus on other competitions was firmly dismissed by their manager.

"No, I don't think so," remarked 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 manager any more."

There is a marked difference in Glasner's strategy to cup tournaments relative to his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This initially was evident during Palace's run to the Carabao Cup last eight in his first full season in command. Under Hodgson, the club had previously been knocked out from each of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner selected his first-choice team for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a meeting with Arsenal.

That prior last-eight tie ended in a three-two loss at the Emirates Stadium, due to a somewhat controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having led at half-time. Now, Glasner must devise a plan for payback versus the current Premier League leaders in a match that was rescheduled to this week because of European commitments.

The Price of Achievement and Continental Fatigue

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 ushered in the rigors 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 rest all season.

The manager selected an entirely different side, featuring four youngsters, in their final Conference League match. However, ahead of the Arsenal game, he conceded he will have "no option" but to select the bulk of his preferred side, which appeared extremely lethargic as they uncharacteristically conceded four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Have to. Yes, have to," he stated.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Selection Dilemmas

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are distinct. The boss must balance his desire to win a another major trophy with considerable pragmatism. The previous season, a muscle injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game against Palace only days after their Carabao Cup fightback greatly damaged their title hopes.

Arteta had implemented a number of changes for that cup tie but was forced to bring on his "key players" after the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to assist Jesus for a crucial goal in a move that left Glasner "furious" over a potential offside, with no VAR available—a situation that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-game winning streak against Palace, featuring seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup encounter and a brace in a subsequent league win before suffering a serious knee injury, is expected to begin for the first time since then setback. 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 fixture list. "I think this week was the sole complete week we had to prepare. The rest until February at least is going to be like this. We have a beautiful chance to go into the semi-final of a tournament so we will be prepared."

Amid important players coming back from injury and a determination to progress, Arsenal present a daunting test for a Palace side desperately in need of a spark as the holiday period ramps up.