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You could excuse Oliver Glasner for preferring to enjoy a restful period with his loved ones in Austria before Christmas, instead of gearing up for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth match of the season—a League Cup last-eight clash against Arsenal. However, the suggestion that Palace might prioritize other tournaments was quickly rejected by their head coach.

"Absolutely not, I don't think so," declared Glasner after his team's side's four-one hammering to Leeds. "If anyone tells me that we lose on purpose, the following day I'm no longer the coach anymore."

There exists a clear contrast in Glasner's philosophy to cup competitions relative to his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This first became clear during Palace's run to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals in his debut complete campaign in charge. Under Hodgson, the club had previously been eliminated from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner fielded his best lineup for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a meeting with Arsenal.

That prior quarter-final tie ended in a three-two loss at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to a somewhat controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having been ahead at half-time. Now, Glasner now faces the task to figure out a strategy for payback against the current Premier League leaders in a match that was moved to this week because of European obligations.

A Price of Achievement and Continental 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 demands of European football for the first time. These pressures are taking a toll on several fatigued players, many of whom have hardly had a rest all term.

The coach selected an completely changed lineup, including four teenagers, in their last Conference League fixture. Yet, ahead of the Arsenal clash, he admitted he will have "little choice" but to choose the bulk of his preferred team, which appeared decidedly lethargic as they uncharacteristically conceded four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Must. Yes, have to," he affirmed.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Selection Considerations

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are distinct. The boss must juggle his ambition to win a second major trophy with considerable pragmatism. Last year, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka suffered in a league game versus Palace only days after their Carabao Cup fightback greatly damaged their title hopes.

Arteta had implemented a number of changes for that League Cup tie but was forced to introduce his "key players" following the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to assist Jesus for a crucial goal in a passage of play that left Glasner "incensed" over a potential offside, with no VAR available—a scenario that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-match winning streak 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 serious knee injury, looks set to start for the first since that setback. Arteta revealed the forward wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We are accustomed to it," said Arteta on the congested fixture list. "I think this week was the sole complete week we had to prepare. The rest until February at least is will be similar. We have a beautiful opportunity to go into the semi-final of a tournament so we will be prepared."

Amid key players coming back from injury and a determination to progress, Arsenal pose a formidable test for a Crystal Palace side urgently in need of rejuvenation as the holiday period intensifies.