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One might excuse Oliver Glasner for preferring to spend a restful period with his family in Austria ahead of Christmas, instead of gearing up for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth fixture of the season—a Carabao Cup last-eight clash against Arsenal. However, the suggestion that Palace might focus on other competitions was firmly rejected by their boss.

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

There is a clear contrast in Glasner's approach to cup tournaments compared to his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This initially became clear during Palace's journey to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals in his debut full season in charge. Under Hodgson, the club had previously been knocked out from each of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner picked his first-choice lineup for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a encounter with Arsenal.

That previous quarter-final tie concluded in a three-two defeat at the Emirates Stadium, following a slightly controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having been ahead at half-time. Now, Glasner must figure out a plan for payback against the current Premier League pace-setters in a fixture that was moved to this week owing to European obligations.

The Price of Success and European Exhaustion

Glasner has, in a sense, been a victim of his own success. Leading Palace to their maiden major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final subsequently ushered in the challenges of European football for the very first time. These demands are catching up with several exhausted squad members, many of whom have barely enjoyed a rest all term.

The manager fielded an completely changed lineup, including four teenagers, in their final Conference League fixture. However, for the Arsenal game, he admitted he will have "little choice" but to choose the majority of his preferred team, which appeared extremely lethargic as they unusually conceded four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Must. Yes, must," he affirmed.

The Gunners' Viewpoint and Selection Considerations

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are distinct. The manager must balance his ambition to win a second major trophy with considerable practicality. Last year, a muscle injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game versus Palace just days after their Carabao Cup fightback significantly harmed their title hopes.

Arteta had implemented a number of changes for that League Cup tie but was forced to introduce his "key players" after the break. Saka came off the bench to assist Jesus for a crucial goal in a move that left Glasner "incensed" over a potential offside, with no VAR in operation—a scenario that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-game unbeaten run against Palace, featuring seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup encounter and a brace in a later league win before suffering a long-term knee injury, looks set to start for the first since that injury. Arteta disclosed the forward wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We're used to it," said Arteta on the busy fixture list. "In my view this week was the sole complete week we had to get ready. The period until February at least is will be like this. We have a beautiful chance to go into the semi-final of a competition so we will be ready."

With important players returning from injury and a determination to progress, Arsenal present a formidable challenge for a Crystal Palace side urgently in need of a spark as the holiday period ramps up.