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One might forgive Oliver Glasner for preferring to spend a quiet few days with his loved ones in Austria before Christmas, instead of preparing for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth game of the season—a League Cup quarter-final against Arsenal. Yet, the suggestion that Palace might focus on other competitions was swiftly dismissed by their head coach.

"Absolutely not, I don't think so," remarked Glasner after his team's side's 4-1 hammering to Leeds. "Should anyone informs me that we lose deliberately, the next day I'm not the coach anymore."

There is a marked contrast in Glasner's philosophy to cup tournaments compared to his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This initially was evident during Palace's run to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals in his first full season in charge. Under Hodgson, the club had previously been knocked out from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner fielded his best lineup for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a encounter with Arsenal.

That previous quarter-final tie ended in a 3-2 defeat at the Emirates Stadium, due to a slightly controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having led at the interval. Now, Glasner must devise a strategy for payback versus the present Premier League leaders 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 maiden major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final has ushered in the challenges of continental football for the very first time. These pressures are taking a toll on some exhausted squad members, many of whom have barely enjoyed a break all season.

The manager deployed an entirely different side, including four teenagers, in their final Conference League fixture. However, for the Arsenal clash, he conceded he will have "little choice" but to choose the bulk of his preferred side, which looked decidedly lethargic as they uncharacteristically conceded four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Must. Yes, must," he stated.

Arsenal's Perspective and Team Dilemmas

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

Arteta had made several changes for that League Cup tie but was forced to bring on 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 possible offside, with no VAR in operation—a scenario that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-match winning run against Palace, including seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in last season's League Cup meeting and two in a subsequent league win before suffering a long-term knee injury, is expected to start for the first time since that injury. Arteta revealed the striker wrote a "beautiful" letter to his teammates about what football means to him.

"We are accustomed to it," commented Arteta on the congested fixture list. "I think this week was the only complete week we had to prepare. The period until February at least is will be similar. We have a wonderful chance to go into the semi-final of a tournament so we will be ready."

Amid key players returning from injury and a determination to advance, Arsenal present a daunting test for a Palace side desperately in need of rejuvenation as the holiday schedule intensifies.