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One might forgive Oliver Glasner for preferring to enjoy a restful period with his family in Austria ahead of Christmas, rather than preparing for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth match of the season—a League Cup quarter-final with Arsenal. However, the notion that Palace might focus on other tournaments was firmly rejected by their boss.

"No, I do not believe that," declared Glasner after his team's side's four-one hammering to Leeds. "If anyone informs me that we are defeated on purpose, the following day I'm no longer the manager any more."

There exists a stark difference in Glasner's philosophy to domestic cup competitions compared to his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This first became clear during Palace's journey to the Carabao Cup last eight in his debut full season in charge. 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. Conversely, Glasner selected his strongest team for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a showdown with Arsenal.

That prior quarter-final match ended in a three-two loss at the Emirates Stadium, following a rather debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having led at half-time. Now, Glasner now faces the task to figure out a strategy for revenge against the current Premier League leaders in a fixture that was rescheduled to this week owing to European commitments.

The Cost of Success and European Fatigue

Glasner has, in a sense, been a victim of his own success. Leading Palace to their first 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 fatigued squad members, many of whom have hardly had a break all term.

The coach deployed an completely different team, featuring four teenagers, in their last Conference League fixture. Yet, for the Arsenal clash, he conceded he will have "no option" but to select the majority of his preferred side, which looked extremely lethargic as they unusually conceded four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Must. Yes, must," he affirmed.

The Gunners' Viewpoint and Team Considerations

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are distinct. The boss must balance his desire to win a second major trophy with considerable practicality. Last year, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka suffered in a league game against Palace only days after their Carabao Cup fightback significantly harmed their title aspirations.

Arteta had made several changes for that cup match but was compelled to introduce his "big-hitters" following the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to assist Jesus for a crucial goal in a passage of play that left Glasner "furious" over a potential offside, with no VAR available—a scenario that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-game winning run against Palace, including seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in last season's League Cup encounter and two in a subsequent league win before suffering a long-term knee injury, is expected to start for the first time since then setback. Arteta disclosed the forward wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We are accustomed to it," said Arteta on the busy fixture list. "In my view this week was the sole full week we had to prepare. The period until February at least is going to be like this. We have a wonderful 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 test for a Crystal Palace side desperately in need of a spark as the holiday period ramps up.