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You could excuse Oliver Glasner for preferring to enjoy a quiet few days with his loved ones in Austria before Christmas, instead of preparing for Crystal Palace's 29th game of the campaign—a League Cup last-eight clash against Arsenal. Yet, the notion that Palace might focus on other tournaments was swiftly rejected by their boss.

"Absolutely not, I don't think so," remarked Glasner following his team's side's four-one hammering to Leeds. "If anyone informs me that we are defeated deliberately, the next day I'm not the manager anymore."

There is a clear contrast in Glasner's approach to domestic cup competitions compared to his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This first was evident during Palace's journey to the League Cup quarter-finals in his first full season in command. Under Hodgson, the club had already been knocked out from each of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner selected his strongest side for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a encounter with Arsenal.

That prior last-eight tie ended in a three-two defeat at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to a rather controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having led at the interval. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner must figure out a strategy for payback versus the present Premier League leaders in a fixture that was moved to this week owing to European obligations.

A Cost of Success and European Exhaustion

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

The coach fielded an entirely changed lineup, featuring four youngsters, in their final Conference League match. However, for the Arsenal game, he admitted he will have "no option" but to pick the majority of his preferred side, which looked decidedly jaded as they uncharacteristically conceded four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Have to. Yes, have to," he affirmed.

The Gunners' Viewpoint and Team Dilemmas

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are different. The boss must balance his ambition to win a another major trophy with considerable practicality. Last year, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka suffered in a league game versus Palace only days after their Carabao Cup comeback significantly damaged their title hopes.

Arteta had made a number of changes for that League Cup match but was forced to introduce his "key players" following the break. Saka came off the bench to assist Jesus for a crucial goal in a move that left Glasner "furious" over a possible offside, with no VAR available—a situation that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-match winning run versus Palace, including seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in last season's League Cup encounter and a brace in a subsequent league win before sustaining a long-term knee injury, looks set to begin for the first time since then injury. Arteta disclosed 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 fixture list. "I think this week was the only full week we had to prepare. The rest until February at least is going to be similar. We have a beautiful opportunity to go into the semi-final of a tournament so we will be prepared."

Amid important players returning from injury and a determination to progress, Arsenal present a formidable challenge for a Crystal Palace side desperately in need of rejuvenation as the holiday schedule intensifies.