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One might excuse Oliver Glasner for wishing to enjoy a restful period with his loved ones in Austria ahead of Christmas, instead of preparing for Crystal Palace's 29th fixture of the season—a League Cup quarter-final against Arsenal. Yet, the idea that Palace could prioritize other competitions was firmly dismissed by their boss.

"Absolutely not, I don't think so," stated Glasner following his team's side's four-one hammering to Leeds. "Should somebody informs me that we are defeated deliberately, the next day I'm not the coach any more."

There exists a marked contrast in Glasner's strategy to cup competitions relative to his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This initially was evident during Palace's journey to the League Cup quarter-finals in his first complete campaign in charge. Under Hodgson, the team had already been eliminated from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner picked his first-choice team for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a meeting with Arsenal.

That previous last-eight tie ended in a three-two loss at the Emirates Stadium, due to a rather controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having led at the interval. Now, Glasner now faces the task to devise a plan for revenge against the current Premier League leaders in a match that was rescheduled to this week because of European obligations.

The Price of Success and European Exhaustion

Glasner has, in a sense, been a casualty of his own success. Leading Palace to their maiden major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final has brought the demands of European football for the very first time. These demands are taking a toll on some exhausted squad members, many of whom have barely enjoyed a rest all season.

The coach fielded an entirely different team, featuring four youngsters, in their final Conference League fixture. Yet, for the Arsenal clash, he admitted he will have "no option" but to select the bulk of his first-choice side, which appeared decidedly lethargic as they uncharacteristically let in four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Have to. Yes, must," he affirmed.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Selection Considerations

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

Arteta had made several changes for that cup tie but was compelled to bring on his "key players" following the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to set up Jesus for a decisive goal in a move that left Glasner "furious" over a potential offside, with no VAR in operation—a situation that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-game winning streak versus Palace, featuring seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup encounter and a brace in a subsequent league win before sustaining a long-term knee injury, is expected to begin for the first time since then injury. Arteta disclosed the forward wrote a "beautiful" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We're accustomed to it," commented Arteta on the congested fixture list. "I think this week was the sole complete 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 prepared."

With important players coming back from injury and a determination to advance, Arsenal pose a formidable test for a Palace side desperately in need of a spark as the festive schedule ramps up.