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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 gearing up for Crystal Palace's 29th fixture of the season—a League Cup quarter-final with Arsenal. Yet, the notion that Palace could focus on other competitions was quickly dismissed by their manager.

"No, I do not believe that," declared Glasner after his team's side's 4-1 hammering to Leeds. "If anyone tells me that we lose on purpose, the following day I'm not the manager anymore."

There exists a clear contrast in Glasner's philosophy to domestic cup tournaments compared to his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This initially was evident during Palace's run to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals in his debut full season in charge. Under Hodgson, the team had previously been eliminated from each of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner selected his best lineup for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a showdown with Arsenal.

That previous last-eight tie ended in a three-two defeat at the Emirates Stadium, due to a rather debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having been ahead at the interval. Now, Glasner now faces the task to devise a plan for payback against the current Premier League leaders in a match that was rescheduled to this week owing to European commitments.

The Price of Success and European Fatigue

Glasner has, in a way, been a victim of his own achievements. Guiding Palace to their first major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final has ushered in the rigors of continental football for the first time. These demands are taking a toll on some weary players, many of whom have barely had a break all season.

The manager deployed an entirely different team, including four youngsters, in their final Conference League match. However, for the Arsenal clash, he admitted he will have "no option" but to select the majority of his preferred side, which looked decidedly lethargic as they unusually let in four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Must. Yes, must," he stated.

Arsenal's Perspective and Team Considerations

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are distinct. The manager must juggle his desire to win a another major trophy with extreme pragmatism. The previous season, a muscle injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game against Palace just days after their Carabao Cup fightback significantly harmed their title hopes.

Arteta had implemented a number of changes for that cup tie but was forced to bring on his "key players" after the break. Saka came off the bench to assist 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 repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-game unbeaten streak against Palace, including seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup meeting and a brace in a later league win before sustaining a serious knee injury, is expected to begin for the first time since that setback. Arteta revealed the forward wrote a "beautiful" letter to his teammates about what football means to him.

"We're accustomed to it," said Arteta on the congested schedule. "I think this week was the sole full week we had to get ready. The rest until February at least is going to be like this. We have a wonderful opportunity to go into the semi-final of a tournament so we will be ready."

Amid important players coming back from injury and a determination to advance, Arsenal pose a daunting test for a Crystal Palace side urgently in need of a spark as the festive period ramps up.