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One might excuse Oliver Glasner for preferring to enjoy a restful few days with his loved ones in Austria before Christmas, rather than gearing up for Crystal Palace's 29th match of the campaign—a League Cup quarter-final with Arsenal. Yet, the idea that Palace could prioritize other competitions was swiftly dismissed by their head coach.

"Absolutely not, I do not believe that," stated Glasner after his team's side's 4-1 defeat to Leeds. "Should somebody informs me that we are defeated deliberately, the next day I'm not the manager any more."

There is a marked contrast in Glasner's strategy to domestic cup competitions compared to his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This initially became clear during Palace's journey to the Carabao Cup last eight in his debut full season in command. Under Hodgson, the club had previously been knocked out from each of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner selected his best team for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a meeting with Arsenal.

That prior last-eight tie concluded in a three-two defeat at the Emirates Stadium, following a rather controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having led at the interval. Now, Glasner now faces the task to devise a plan for payback versus the current Premier League pace-setters in a match that was moved to this week because of European commitments.

The Cost of Achievement and European Exhaustion

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

The manager fielded an completely changed team, featuring four teenagers, in their last Conference League fixture. However, for the Arsenal clash, he conceded he will have "no option" but to select the majority of his preferred side, which appeared decidedly lethargic as they unusually conceded four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Have to. Yes, must," he said.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Selection Dilemmas

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are different. The manager must balance his ambition to win a another major trophy with considerable pragmatism. Last year, a muscle injury to Bukayo Saka suffered in a league game versus Palace only days after their Carabao Cup fightback greatly harmed their title hopes.

Arteta had made a number of changes for that League Cup tie but was compelled to bring on his "key players" after the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to assist Jesus for a decisive goal in a move that left Glasner "incensed" over a possible offside, with no VAR in operation—a scenario that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-game unbeaten run against Palace, including seven wins. 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 since then setback. Arteta disclosed the forward wrote a "beautiful" letter to his teammates about what football means to him.

"We're accustomed to it," commented Arteta on the congested fixture list. "In my view 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 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 advance, Arsenal present a daunting test for a Crystal Palace side desperately in need of rejuvenation as the festive period ramps up.