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One might forgive Oliver Glasner for preferring to spend a quiet period with his family in Austria ahead of Christmas, rather than preparing for Crystal Palace's 29th game of the season—a Carabao Cup last-eight clash with Arsenal. Yet, the suggestion that Palace could prioritize other competitions was quickly dismissed by their manager.

"Absolutely not, I don't think so," remarked Glasner after his team's side's four-one loss to Leeds. "If somebody informs me that we lose on purpose, the next day I'm not the manager anymore."

There exists a stark contrast in Glasner's strategy to cup competitions relative to his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This initially became clear during Palace's journey to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals in his debut complete campaign in command. Under Hodgson, the team 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 wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a showdown with Arsenal.

That previous quarter-final match ended in a three-two loss at the Emirates Stadium, following a rather 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 plan for payback versus the current Premier League pace-setters in a match that was moved to this week owing to European commitments.

The Price of Success and Continental Fatigue

Glasner has, in a way, been a casualty of his own success. Leading Palace to their first major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final has brought the challenges of continental football for the very first time. These pressures are catching up with some fatigued squad members, many of whom have barely had a rest all season.

The manager fielded an entirely different lineup, including four youngsters, in their last Conference League fixture. However, ahead of the Arsenal game, he conceded he will have "no option" but to pick the bulk of his preferred team, which appeared extremely lethargic as they unusually conceded four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Have to. Yes, must," he affirmed.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Selection Considerations

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are distinct. The manager must juggle his desire to win a another major trophy with extreme practicality. The previous season, a muscle injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game against Palace only days after their Carabao Cup comeback greatly harmed their title aspirations.

Arteta had implemented a number of changes for that League Cup tie but was forced to bring on his "big-hitters" following the break. Saka came off the bench to assist Jesus for a crucial goal in a move that left Glasner "furious" over a potential offside, with no VAR available—a scenario that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-game winning streak versus Palace, including seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in last season's League Cup encounter and a brace in a subsequent league win before suffering a long-term knee injury, is expected to start for the first time since that setback. Arteta revealed the forward wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football means to him.

"We're used to it," said Arteta on the busy schedule. "I think this week was the only full week we had to get ready. The period until February at least is will be like this. We have a wonderful opportunity to go into the semi-final of a competition so we will be prepared."

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