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One might excuse Oliver Glasner for preferring to spend a quiet period with his loved ones in Austria before Christmas, rather than preparing for Crystal Palace's 29th game of the campaign—a Carabao Cup last-eight clash with Arsenal. Yet, the suggestion that Palace could prioritize 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 defeat to Leeds. "Should anyone informs me that we are defeated deliberately, the next day I'm no longer the manager any more."

There exists a stark contrast in Glasner's strategy to cup tournaments compared to his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This first became clear during Palace's journey to the League Cup quarter-finals in his first complete campaign in charge. Under Hodgson, the club had previously been knocked out from each of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner picked his strongest side for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a showdown with Arsenal.

That previous quarter-final tie ended in a three-two defeat at the Emirates Stadium, due to a somewhat controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having led at half-time. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner now faces the task to devise a strategy for revenge versus the current Premier League leaders in a fixture that was rescheduled to this week owing to European obligations.

The Cost of Success and European Exhaustion

Glasner has, in a sense, been a casualty of his own success. Leading Palace to their first major trophy with a win in the FA Cup final has ushered in the rigors of continental football for the first time. These pressures are taking a toll on several fatigued players, many of whom have barely had a rest all term.

The coach deployed an entirely changed side, including four teenagers, in their last Conference League fixture. Yet, ahead of the Arsenal clash, he conceded he will have "little choice" but to select the majority of his first-choice team, which appeared decidedly jaded as they uncharacteristically conceded four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Must. Yes, have to," he stated.

Arsenal's Perspective and Selection Dilemmas

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are distinct. The manager must balance his ambition to win a another major trophy with extreme pragmatism. The previous season, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game versus Palace only days after their Carabao Cup comeback greatly harmed their title hopes.

Arteta had implemented several changes for that League Cup tie but was forced to bring on his "key players" after the break. Saka came off the bench to set up Jesus for a decisive goal in a move that left Glasner "incensed" over a potential offside, with no VAR in operation—a scenario that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-game unbeaten streak against 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 sustaining a serious knee injury, looks set to start for the first since that setback. Arteta disclosed the striker wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football means to him.

"We are accustomed to it," said Arteta on the congested schedule. "In my view this week was the sole full week we had to get ready. The rest until February at least is will be similar. We have a wonderful chance to go into the last four of a tournament so we will be ready."

Amid key players returning from injury and a desire to advance, Arsenal present a formidable test for a Palace side desperately in need of a spark as the festive schedule intensifies.