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One might excuse Oliver Glasner for preferring to enjoy a restful few days with his loved ones in Austria ahead of Christmas, instead of gearing up for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth game of the campaign—a Carabao Cup quarter-final against Arsenal. However, the suggestion that Palace might prioritize other competitions was swiftly dismissed by their boss.

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

There is a marked contrast in Glasner's approach to cup tournaments versus his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This initially became clear during Palace's journey to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals in his first full season in charge. Under Hodgson, the club had already been eliminated from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner picked his best team for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a showdown with Arsenal.

That prior quarter-final match ended in a three-two loss at the Emirates Stadium, due to a rather debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having been ahead at half-time. Now, Glasner must devise a plan for revenge against the current Premier League pace-setters in a fixture that was rescheduled to this week because of European commitments.

A Cost of Success and Continental Fatigue

Glasner has, in a sense, been a victim of his own achievements. Guiding Palace to their maiden major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final has brought the challenges of European football for the first time. These demands are taking a toll on some fatigued squad members, many of whom have barely had a break all season.

The manager fielded an completely different lineup, including four teenagers, in their final Conference League match. However, ahead of the Arsenal clash, he conceded he will have "little choice" but to pick the majority of his first-choice team, which appeared extremely jaded as they unusually let in four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Must. Yes, must," he said.

The Gunners' Perspective and Team Dilemmas

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are distinct. The boss must balance his desire to win a second major trophy with considerable pragmatism. The previous season, a muscle injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game against Palace only days after their Carabao Cup fightback significantly damaged their title aspirations.

Arteta had implemented several changes for that cup match but was forced to introduce his "big-hitters" after the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to set up Jesus for a decisive goal in a move that left Glasner "furious" over a possible offside, with no VAR available—a situation that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-match unbeaten streak versus Palace, featuring seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in last season's League Cup encounter and a brace in a subsequent league win before suffering a long-term knee injury, looks set to start for the first since that injury. Arteta disclosed the forward wrote a "beautiful" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We're used to it," said Arteta on the busy fixture list. "I think this week was the only complete week we had to get ready. The rest until February at least is going to be like this. We have a wonderful chance to go into the semi-final of a tournament so we will be prepared."

Amid important players returning from injury and a determination to advance, Arsenal pose a daunting challenge for a Crystal Palace side urgently in need of rejuvenation as the holiday period ramps up.