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You could excuse Oliver Glasner for wishing to enjoy a quiet few days with his family in Austria ahead of Christmas, instead of gearing up for Crystal Palace's 29th match of the campaign—a Carabao Cup quarter-final with Arsenal. Yet, the suggestion that Palace might focus on other tournaments was firmly rejected by their boss.

"Absolutely not, I don't think so," declared Glasner following his team's side's four-one defeat to Leeds. "If somebody tells me that we lose on purpose, the following day I'm not the manager anymore."

There exists a stark contrast in Glasner's approach to domestic cup tournaments compared to his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This first was evident during Palace's journey to the League Cup last eight in his first full season in charge. Under Hodgson, the club had already been knocked out from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner fielded his strongest lineup for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a encounter with Arsenal.

That prior quarter-final match ended in a three-two defeat at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to a somewhat debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having led at the interval. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner must devise a plan for revenge against the present Premier League pace-setters in a match that was moved to this week owing to European obligations.

A Price of Achievement and Continental Fatigue

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 challenges of European football for the first time. These pressures are catching up with several exhausted players, many of whom have barely had a break all term.

The manager deployed an entirely different lineup, featuring four teenagers, in their final Conference League fixture. However, for the Arsenal game, he admitted he will have "little choice" but to choose the majority of his preferred side, which appeared decidedly lethargic as they unusually let in four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Must. Yes, must," he said.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Selection Dilemmas

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are distinct. The manager must balance his ambition to win a second major trophy with extreme pragmatism. Last year, a muscle injury to Bukayo Saka suffered in a league game against Palace only days after their Carabao Cup comeback significantly damaged their title aspirations.

Arteta had implemented several changes for that League Cup match but was forced to bring on his "big-hitters" after the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to assist Jesus for a crucial goal in a move that left Glasner "furious" over a potential offside, with no VAR in operation—a situation that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-game winning streak versus Palace, featuring seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in last season's League Cup encounter and two in a later league win before sustaining a long-term knee injury, looks set to begin for the first time since that setback. Arteta revealed the striker wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We are used to it," commented Arteta on the congested fixture list. "I think this week was the only complete week we had to get ready. The period until February at least is will be similar. We have a wonderful 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 pose a formidable challenge for a Crystal Palace side desperately in need of rejuvenation as the holiday period ramps up.