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You could excuse Oliver Glasner for wishing to enjoy a quiet few days with his family in Austria ahead of Christmas, instead of gearing up for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth fixture of the campaign—a Carabao Cup last-eight clash with Arsenal. However, the notion that Palace could focus on other tournaments was firmly rejected by their manager.

"No, I don't think so," declared Glasner following his team's side's four-one loss to Leeds. "Should somebody informs me that we are defeated on purpose, the following day I'm not the coach anymore."

There exists a stark contrast in Glasner's approach to cup tournaments compared to his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This first was evident during Palace's journey to the League Cup last eight in his debut full season in command. Under Hodgson, the club had already been eliminated from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner fielded his best side for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a showdown with Arsenal.

That previous quarter-final tie concluded in a 3-2 loss at the Emirates Stadium, following a slightly debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having led at half-time. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner now faces the task to devise a strategy for revenge against the current Premier League pace-setters in a fixture that was moved to this week because of European obligations.

The Cost of Success and Continental Fatigue

Glasner has, in a way, been a victim of his own success. Leading Palace to their maiden major trophy with a win in the FA Cup final has brought the rigors of continental football for the very first time. These pressures are taking a toll on some fatigued squad members, many of whom have barely enjoyed a rest all term.

The coach deployed an entirely changed team, featuring four teenagers, in their final Conference League fixture. Yet, ahead of the Arsenal clash, he conceded he will have "little choice" but to pick the bulk of his first-choice team, which appeared extremely lethargic as they uncharacteristically conceded four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Must. Yes, must," he affirmed.

The Gunners' Perspective and Team Dilemmas

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are distinct. The boss must balance his desire to win a second major trophy with extreme practicality. Last year, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game against Palace just days after their Carabao Cup comeback greatly damaged their title aspirations.

Arteta had made several changes for that cup match but was compelled to introduce his "key players" following the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to set up Jesus for a crucial goal in a move that left Glasner "furious" over a possible offside, with no VAR available—a scenario that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-game winning run against Palace, featuring seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup encounter and two in a subsequent league win before suffering a long-term knee injury, looks set to begin for the first since that setback. Arteta disclosed the striker wrote a "beautiful" letter to his teammates about what football means to him.

"We're accustomed to it," commented Arteta on the busy schedule. "In my view this week was the only full week we had to get ready. The rest until February at least is going to be similar. We have a wonderful opportunity to go into the last four of a competition so we will be prepared."

Amid important players coming back from injury and a determination to advance, Arsenal present a formidable challenge for a Crystal Palace side desperately in need of rejuvenation as the festive period intensifies.