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One might excuse Oliver Glasner for preferring to enjoy a quiet period with his family in Austria ahead of Christmas, instead of gearing up for Crystal Palace's 29th fixture of the campaign—a Carabao Cup quarter-final with Arsenal. However, the suggestion that Palace might prioritize other tournaments was firmly dismissed by their manager.

"Absolutely not, I don't think so," stated Glasner following his team's side's four-one defeat to Leeds. "If anyone informs me that we are defeated on purpose, the following day I'm no longer the manager any more."

There exists a clear difference in Glasner's strategy to cup competitions versus his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This first became clear during Palace's journey to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals in his debut full season in charge. Under Hodgson, the club had already been eliminated from each of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner fielded 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 concluded in a three-two loss at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to a rather debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having led at half-time. Now, Glasner now faces the task to devise a plan for revenge versus the present Premier League leaders in a fixture that was moved to this week owing to European obligations.

The Cost of Achievement and European Fatigue

Glasner has, in a sense, been a casualty of his own success. Guiding Palace to their maiden major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final has ushered in the rigors of European football for the very first time. These pressures are taking a toll on some exhausted squad members, many of whom have hardly had a break all season.

The manager deployed an entirely different side, featuring four youngsters, in their last Conference League match. Yet, for the Arsenal clash, he conceded he will have "little choice" but to choose the bulk of his preferred team, which appeared decidedly lethargic as they unusually let in four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Have to. Yes, have to," he stated.

The Gunners' Viewpoint and Selection Considerations

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

Arteta had implemented a number of changes for that cup tie but was compelled to introduce his "key players" following the break. Saka came off 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 situation that will be the case again on Tuesday.

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

"We are accustomed to it," said Arteta on the busy fixture list. "In my view this week was the sole full week we had to prepare. The period 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 key players coming back from injury and a determination to advance, Arsenal present a daunting challenge for a Crystal Palace side desperately in need of a spark as the holiday period intensifies.