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One might excuse Oliver Glasner for wishing to enjoy a quiet few days with his loved ones in Austria ahead of Christmas, instead of preparing for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth fixture of the campaign—a League Cup quarter-final with Arsenal. However, the notion that Palace might prioritize other tournaments was quickly rejected by their boss.

"Absolutely not, I don't think so," declared Glasner after his team's side's 4-1 hammering to Leeds. "If somebody tells me that we lose deliberately, the following day I'm no longer the coach anymore."

There exists a clear contrast in Glasner's approach to cup tournaments compared to his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This first was evident during Palace's run to the League Cup quarter-finals 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. In contrast, Glasner picked his best team for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a showdown with Arsenal.

That prior quarter-final tie concluded in a 3-2 loss at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to a somewhat debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having been ahead at the interval. Now, Glasner must devise a plan for revenge versus the current Premier League pace-setters in a fixture that was rescheduled to this week because of European obligations.

The Price of Success and Continental Fatigue

Glasner has, in a way, been a victim of his own achievements. Leading Palace to their maiden major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final subsequently ushered in the demands of continental football for the first time. These demands are catching up with some fatigued players, many of whom have barely enjoyed a rest all term.

The coach selected an completely changed lineup, featuring four youngsters, in their final Conference League fixture. Yet, for the Arsenal game, he admitted he will have "little choice" but to choose the bulk of his first-choice team, which appeared decidedly jaded as they unusually let in four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Have to. Yes, must," he said.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Selection Considerations

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are different. The manager must juggle his ambition to win a another major trophy with considerable pragmatism. Last year, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game against Palace just days after their Carabao Cup comeback greatly damaged their title aspirations.

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

Arsenal have an eight-match winning streak versus Palace, including seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in last season's League Cup encounter and two in a subsequent league win before suffering a long-term knee injury, is expected to begin for the first time since that injury. Arteta disclosed the forward wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football means to him.

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

Amid important players coming back from injury and a determination to advance, Arsenal present a daunting test for a Palace side urgently in need of rejuvenation as the festive schedule intensifies.