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You could forgive Oliver Glasner for wishing to enjoy a restful period with his loved ones in Austria before Christmas, instead of gearing up for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth game of the campaign—a Carabao Cup quarter-final against Arsenal. However, the suggestion that Palace could focus on other tournaments was quickly rejected by their manager.

"No, I do not believe that," remarked Glasner after his team's side's 4-1 hammering to Leeds. "If somebody tells me that we lose deliberately, the following day I'm no longer the manager any more."

There is a marked contrast in Glasner's strategy to cup competitions relative to his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This first was evident during Palace's run to the League Cup last eight in his debut full season in command. Under Hodgson, the team had previously been eliminated from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner picked his best team for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a encounter with Arsenal.

That prior quarter-final match concluded in a 3-2 loss at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to a rather debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having led at the interval. Now, Glasner now faces the task to devise a plan for revenge against the present Premier League pace-setters in a match that was rescheduled to this week because of European commitments.

The Price of Success and Continental Exhaustion

Glasner has, in a sense, been a victim of his own success. Leading Palace to their maiden major trophy with a win in the FA Cup final subsequently brought the rigors of European football for the very first time. These demands are catching up with some exhausted players, many of whom have hardly enjoyed a rest all season.

The coach deployed an completely different team, featuring four youngsters, in their last Conference League fixture. Yet, for the Arsenal clash, he admitted he will have "no option" but to pick the bulk of his first-choice team, which appeared decidedly jaded as they unusually let in four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Have to. Yes, must," he stated.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Team Considerations

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are distinct. The boss must juggle his ambition to win a another major trophy with considerable practicality. Last year, a muscle injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game against Palace only days after their Carabao Cup comeback significantly damaged their title hopes.

Arteta had implemented a number of changes for that cup tie but was forced to bring on his "key players" following the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to set up 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 be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-game winning streak against Palace, featuring seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in last season's League Cup meeting and a brace in a later league win before suffering a long-term knee injury, looks set to start for the first since that setback. Arteta disclosed the forward wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football means to him.

"We are used to it," commented Arteta on the busy schedule. "I think this week was the only full week we had to prepare. The rest until February at least is will be like this. We have a beautiful opportunity to go into the last four of a tournament so we will be ready."

Amid key players returning from injury and a determination to progress, Arsenal pose a formidable test for a Crystal Palace side desperately in need of a spark as the holiday schedule ramps up.