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You could excuse Oliver Glasner for wishing to enjoy a quiet few days with his loved ones in Austria ahead of Christmas, instead of gearing up for Crystal Palace's 29th match of the season—a Carabao Cup quarter-final with Arsenal. However, the notion that Palace might prioritize other tournaments was quickly dismissed by their boss.

"No, I do not believe that," remarked Glasner after his team's side's four-one loss to Leeds. "Should somebody tells me that we lose deliberately, the following day I'm not the manager anymore."

There is a marked contrast in Glasner's strategy to cup competitions relative to his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This initially was evident during Palace's journey to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals in his debut complete campaign in command. Under Hodgson, the team had already been eliminated from each of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner picked his strongest lineup for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a encounter 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. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner must devise a strategy for revenge versus the present Premier League leaders in a fixture that was rescheduled to this week because of European commitments.

The Cost of Success and Continental Exhaustion

Glasner has, in a way, been a casualty of his own success. Leading Palace to their maiden major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final subsequently ushered in the challenges of European football for the very first time. These pressures are taking a toll on several exhausted squad members, many of whom have hardly had a rest all season.

The coach selected an completely changed lineup, including four youngsters, in their last Conference League fixture. Yet, for the Arsenal clash, he admitted he will have "little choice" but to pick the majority of his first-choice team, which looked decidedly jaded as they unusually conceded four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Must. Yes, must," he said.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Team Considerations

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are different. The manager must balance his ambition to win a second major trophy with considerable pragmatism. The previous season, a muscle injury to Bukayo Saka suffered in a league game against Palace just days after their Carabao Cup comeback significantly harmed their title aspirations.

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

Arsenal have an eight-game unbeaten streak against Palace, featuring seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup meeting and a brace in a subsequent league win before suffering a serious knee injury, looks set to begin for the first 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," said Arteta on the congested schedule. "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 chance to go into the last four of a competition so we will be prepared."

With important players returning from injury and a determination to advance, Arsenal pose a daunting test for a Crystal Palace side desperately in need of rejuvenation as the festive schedule intensifies.