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One might forgive Oliver Glasner for wishing to enjoy a restful few days with his loved ones in Austria ahead of Christmas, instead of preparing for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth fixture of the season—a Carabao Cup last-eight clash with Arsenal. Yet, the notion that Palace might focus on other competitions was swiftly dismissed by their head coach.

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

There exists a stark contrast in Glasner's approach to domestic cup tournaments compared to his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This first became clear during Palace's journey to the League Cup quarter-finals in his first full season in charge. Under Hodgson, the team had already been eliminated from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner picked his first-choice lineup for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a meeting with Arsenal.

That previous last-eight tie concluded in a three-two loss at the Emirates Stadium, following a somewhat debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having been ahead at the interval. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner must figure out a strategy for revenge against the present Premier League leaders in a match that was moved to this week owing to European commitments.

A Price of Achievement and Continental Exhaustion

Glasner has, in a sense, been a casualty of his own success. Guiding Palace to their maiden major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final subsequently ushered in the challenges of continental football for the very first time. These pressures are catching up with several fatigued squad members, many of whom have barely enjoyed a rest all season.

The coach deployed an completely changed lineup, featuring four teenagers, in their last Conference League fixture. Yet, ahead of the Arsenal clash, he conceded he will have "no option" but to pick the majority of his preferred team, which looked extremely lethargic as they unusually conceded four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Have to. Yes, must," he said.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Selection Dilemmas

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

Arteta had implemented several changes for that cup match but was forced to bring on his "big-hitters" after the break. Saka came off the bench to set up Jesus for a decisive goal in a passage of play that left Glasner "furious" over a potential offside, with no VAR available—a scenario that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-match unbeaten streak against Palace, featuring seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in last season's League Cup meeting and a brace in a later league win before sustaining a serious knee injury, looks set to begin for the first 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 sole complete week we had to prepare. The rest until February at least is going to be similar. We have a beautiful chance to go into the last four of a competition so we will be prepared."

With important players returning from injury and a desire to progress, Arsenal present a daunting challenge for a Crystal Palace side desperately in need of a spark as the festive period ramps up.