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One might forgive Oliver Glasner for wishing 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 season—a League Cup last-eight clash against Arsenal. However, the notion that Palace might prioritize other tournaments was swiftly dismissed by their boss.

"Absolutely not, I do not believe that," remarked Glasner after his team's side's four-one defeat to Leeds. "Should anyone tells me that we are defeated deliberately, the following day I'm no longer the coach anymore."

There is a marked contrast in Glasner's philosophy to cup tournaments relative to his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This first was evident during Palace's run to the Carabao Cup last eight in his first complete campaign in charge. Under Hodgson, the club had previously been eliminated from each of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner fielded his first-choice side for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a encounter with Arsenal.

That previous last-eight match concluded in a 3-2 defeat at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to a rather controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having been ahead at half-time. Now, Glasner must figure out a plan for revenge versus the present Premier League leaders in a match that was rescheduled to this week because of European obligations.

The Cost of Achievement 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 rigors of European football for the very first time. These pressures are catching up with several weary players, many of whom have barely enjoyed a rest all term.

The coach fielded an entirely changed lineup, featuring four teenagers, in their final Conference League match. However, ahead of the Arsenal clash, he admitted he will have "little choice" but to choose the bulk of his preferred team, which appeared extremely lethargic as they uncharacteristically conceded four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Must. Yes, have to," he stated.

The Gunners' Perspective and Selection Dilemmas

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are distinct. The boss must balance his desire to win a another major trophy with extreme practicality. The previous season, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game versus Palace just days after their Carabao Cup fightback greatly damaged their title hopes.

Arteta had implemented several changes for that cup match but was compelled to introduce his "key players" after the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to assist Jesus for a decisive goal in a passage of play that left Glasner "furious" over a potential offside, with no VAR in operation—a situation that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-game unbeaten run versus Palace, including seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup encounter and two in a subsequent league win before sustaining a long-term knee injury, looks set to begin for the first time since then setback. Arteta disclosed the striker wrote a "beautiful" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We're accustomed to it," said Arteta on the congested schedule. "In my view this week was the only complete week we had to prepare. The period 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 key players returning from injury and a desire to progress, Arsenal present a formidable test for a Palace side desperately in need of rejuvenation as the holiday schedule intensifies.