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You could excuse Oliver Glasner for wishing to enjoy a restful few days with his loved ones in Austria before Christmas, instead of gearing up for Crystal Palace's 29th match of the season—a League Cup quarter-final against Arsenal. However, the idea that Palace could prioritize other tournaments was firmly dismissed by their manager.

"No, I do not believe that," remarked Glasner after his team's side's 4-1 hammering to Leeds. "If anyone tells me that we lose on purpose, the next day I'm not the manager anymore."

There is a stark contrast in Glasner's philosophy to domestic cup competitions compared to his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This initially became clear during Palace's run to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals in his first full season in command. Under Hodgson, the club had already been knocked out from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner fielded his strongest team for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a encounter with Arsenal.

That previous quarter-final match concluded in a three-two loss at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to a somewhat controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having been ahead at half-time. Now, Glasner must figure out a strategy for payback versus the current Premier League pace-setters in a match that was moved to this week because of European commitments.

A Price of Achievement and European Fatigue

Glasner has, in a sense, been a victim of his own achievements. Leading Palace to their first major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final has ushered in the challenges of European football for the first time. These demands are taking a toll on several fatigued players, many of whom have barely had a break all season.

The coach selected an completely different lineup, featuring four teenagers, in their final Conference League fixture. However, for the Arsenal clash, he conceded he will have "no option" but to select the majority of his first-choice side, which looked extremely jaded as they uncharacteristically let in four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Must. Yes, must," he said.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Selection Considerations

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are different. The manager must balance his desire to win a second major trophy with considerable pragmatism. Last year, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game versus Palace only days after their Carabao Cup fightback greatly damaged their title aspirations.

Arteta had made several changes for that League Cup tie but was compelled to bring on his "key players" following the break. Saka came off the bench to assist Jesus for a decisive goal in a move that left Glasner "incensed" over a possible offside, with no VAR available—a scenario that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-match unbeaten streak versus Palace, featuring seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in last season's League Cup meeting and two in a subsequent league win before sustaining a serious knee injury, is expected to begin for the first since that injury. Arteta revealed the forward wrote a "beautiful" letter to his teammates about what football means to him.

"We're used to it," commented Arteta on the congested fixture list. "In my view this week was the only full week we had to get ready. The period until February at least is will be similar. We have a beautiful opportunity to go into the last four of a tournament so we will be prepared."

With important players coming back from injury and a desire to advance, Arsenal present a formidable test for a Crystal Palace side urgently in need of a spark as the holiday schedule ramps up.