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One might forgive Oliver Glasner for wishing to spend a restful period with his family in Austria before Christmas, instead of preparing for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth game of the campaign—a Carabao Cup last-eight clash with Arsenal. However, the idea that Palace could focus on other competitions was swiftly rejected by their boss.

"Absolutely not, I don't think so," stated Glasner after his team's side's 4-1 defeat to Leeds. "Should anyone tells me that we are defeated deliberately, the next day I'm no longer the manager any more."

There is a stark difference in Glasner's strategy to domestic cup tournaments relative to his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This first became clear during Palace's run to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals in his first complete campaign in charge. Under Hodgson, the team had previously been eliminated from each of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner picked his first-choice lineup for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a showdown with Arsenal.

That prior last-eight match ended in a 3-2 loss at the Emirates Stadium, due to a somewhat debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having been ahead at the interval. Now, Glasner now faces the task to figure out a plan for revenge versus the current Premier League leaders in a fixture that was rescheduled to this week because of European obligations.

The Price of Success and Continental Exhaustion

Glasner has, in a way, been a casualty of his own achievements. Leading Palace to their maiden major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final subsequently ushered in the rigors of European football for the first time. These demands are catching up with some exhausted players, many of whom have hardly had a break all season.

The manager deployed an completely different team, including four teenagers, in their final Conference League fixture. Yet, for the Arsenal clash, he conceded he will have "no option" but to pick the bulk of his first-choice side, which appeared decidedly jaded as they unusually let in four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Have to. Yes, have to," he stated.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Selection Considerations

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are distinct. The manager must juggle his ambition to win a another 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 hopes.

Arteta had implemented several changes for that League Cup tie but was forced to introduce 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 "incensed" over a potential offside, with no VAR available—a scenario that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-game winning run against Palace, including seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup encounter and a brace in a subsequent league win before suffering a long-term knee injury, is expected to start for the first time since that injury. Arteta revealed the forward wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football means to him.

"We are used to it," commented Arteta on the busy fixture list. "I think this week was the sole complete week we had to get ready. The rest until February at least is going to be similar. We have a beautiful opportunity to go into the semi-final of a competition so we will be prepared."

With important players coming back from injury and a determination to progress, Arsenal pose a formidable test for a Palace side desperately in need of rejuvenation as the holiday period intensifies.