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

"Absolutely not, I do not believe that," declared Glasner following his team's side's 4-1 defeat to Leeds. "If anyone informs me that we lose on purpose, the next day I'm not the coach any more."

There is a marked contrast in Glasner's strategy to domestic cup competitions versus his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This first became clear during Palace's journey to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals in his first full season in command. Under Hodgson, the club had previously been eliminated from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner picked his strongest lineup for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a encounter with Arsenal.

That prior last-eight match ended in a 3-2 defeat at the Emirates Stadium, due to a somewhat debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having been ahead at half-time. Now, Glasner must figure out a strategy for revenge versus the present Premier League leaders in a fixture that was rescheduled to this week owing to European obligations.

The Cost of Success and European Exhaustion

Glasner has, in a way, been a victim of his own success. Leading Palace to their first 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 exhausted squad members, many of whom have barely had a break all term.

The manager selected an entirely changed side, including four teenagers, in their final Conference League fixture. Yet, for the Arsenal game, he conceded he will have "no option" but to pick the bulk of his preferred team, which looked decidedly jaded as they uncharacteristically let in four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Must. Yes, must," he said.

Arsenal's Perspective and Selection Considerations

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are different. The manager must balance his ambition to win a second major trophy with extreme practicality. The previous season, a muscle injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game versus Palace just days after their Carabao Cup fightback significantly damaged their title aspirations.

Arteta had implemented several changes for that cup tie but was compelled to introduce his "big-hitters" following the break. Saka came off the bench to assist Jesus for a decisive goal in a move that left Glasner "incensed" over a possible offside, with no VAR available—a scenario that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-match unbeaten streak versus Palace, featuring seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup encounter and two in a later league win before suffering a long-term knee injury, looks set to start for the first time since then setback. Arteta revealed the striker wrote a "beautiful" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We're accustomed to it," commented Arteta on the congested schedule. "I think this week was the sole full week we had to prepare. The rest until February at least is will be similar. We have a beautiful opportunity to go into the semi-final of a competition so we will be ready."

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