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You could forgive Oliver Glasner for wishing to enjoy a quiet period with his family in Austria before Christmas, rather than gearing up for Crystal Palace's 29th fixture of the season—a League Cup last-eight clash against Arsenal. However, the notion that Palace could prioritize 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 hammering to Leeds. "If anyone informs me that we are defeated on purpose, the next day I'm not the coach anymore."

There is a marked contrast in Glasner's strategy to cup competitions compared to his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This initially was evident during Palace's journey to the League Cup quarter-finals in his first full season in command. Under Hodgson, the team had previously been knocked out from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner selected his best lineup for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a encounter with Arsenal.

That previous quarter-final match ended in a 3-2 loss at the Emirates Stadium, due to a somewhat controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having led at the interval. Now, Glasner must devise a strategy for payback versus the current Premier League pace-setters in a match that was moved to this week owing to European commitments.

A Cost of Achievement and European Fatigue

Glasner has, in a way, been a victim 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 first time. These pressures are taking a toll on several fatigued players, many of whom have barely had a break all season.

The coach selected an entirely changed side, including four teenagers, in their last Conference League match. However, ahead of the Arsenal clash, he conceded he will have "no option" but to select the bulk of his preferred team, which looked extremely lethargic as they unusually let in four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Must. Yes, must," he stated.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Selection Considerations

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are different. The manager must juggle his ambition to win a another major trophy with considerable practicality. The previous season, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka suffered in a league game versus Palace only days after their Carabao Cup comeback greatly harmed their title hopes.

Arteta had made several changes for that cup match but was compelled to introduce his "key players" after the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to set up Jesus for a decisive goal in a passage of play that left Glasner "furious" over a possible offside, with no VAR available—a situation that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-match winning streak against Palace, featuring seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in last season's League Cup meeting and two in a later league win before sustaining a long-term knee injury, is expected to begin for the first time since that injury. Arteta disclosed the striker wrote a "beautiful" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We are accustomed to it," commented Arteta on the congested fixture list. "In my view this week was the only full week we had to get ready. The period until February at least is will be similar. We have a beautiful opportunity to go into the last four of a competition so we will be prepared."

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