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You could excuse Oliver Glasner for wishing to spend a restful period with his family in Austria ahead of Christmas, rather than preparing for Crystal Palace's 29th match of the campaign—a League Cup quarter-final against Arsenal. However, the suggestion that Palace could prioritize other tournaments was swiftly dismissed by their boss.

"No, I don't think so," remarked Glasner after his team's side's 4-1 hammering to Leeds. "If anyone tells me that we are defeated on purpose, the following day I'm no longer the manager any more."

There is a stark difference in Glasner's philosophy to domestic cup competitions compared to his predecessor, 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 team had already been knocked out from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner picked his strongest team for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a encounter with Arsenal.

That prior last-eight match concluded in a three-two defeat at the Emirates Stadium, due to a slightly debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having led at half-time. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner now faces the task to figure out a strategy for revenge versus the present Premier League pace-setters in a fixture that was rescheduled to this week because of European commitments.

The Cost of Achievement and Continental 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 has brought the challenges of continental football for the first time. These demands are taking a toll on some fatigued players, many of whom have barely enjoyed a break all term.

The coach deployed an entirely different team, including four teenagers, in their final Conference League match. Yet, for the Arsenal game, he conceded he will have "little choice" but to select the majority of his preferred side, which appeared extremely jaded as they unusually let in four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Have to. Yes, must," he stated.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Selection Dilemmas

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are distinct. The boss must balance his desire to win a second major trophy with extreme practicality. The previous season, a muscle injury to Bukayo Saka suffered in a league game against Palace just days after their Carabao Cup comeback significantly damaged their title aspirations.

Arteta had made several changes for that cup tie but was forced to introduce his "key players" following the break. Saka came off the bench to assist Jesus for a decisive goal in a move that left Glasner "furious" over a possible offside, with no VAR available—a situation that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-match unbeaten streak against Palace, featuring seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup encounter and a brace in a subsequent league win before sustaining a long-term knee injury, looks set to start for the first since that injury. Arteta revealed the forward wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We're accustomed to it," commented Arteta on the busy fixture list. "I think this week was the sole complete week we had to prepare. The period until February at least is going to be similar. We have a wonderful opportunity to go into the semi-final of a competition so we will be ready."

With important players returning from injury and a determination to advance, Arsenal pose a formidable challenge for a Crystal Palace side urgently in need of a spark as the festive schedule ramps up.