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You could forgive Oliver Glasner for preferring to enjoy a restful period with his family in Austria ahead of Christmas, instead of gearing up for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth fixture of the season—a Carabao Cup quarter-final against Arsenal. However, the suggestion that Palace might prioritize other competitions was firmly dismissed by their manager.

"Absolutely not, I do not believe that," remarked Glasner following his team's side's 4-1 hammering to Leeds. "If somebody tells me that we are defeated on purpose, the following day I'm no longer the manager any more."

There exists a marked contrast in Glasner's philosophy to cup competitions versus his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This first became clear during Palace's journey to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals in his first complete campaign in charge. Under Hodgson, the team had previously been knocked out 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 lineup for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a encounter with Arsenal.

That prior last-eight match concluded in a 3-2 defeat at the Emirates Stadium, due to a rather debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having been ahead at the interval. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner must figure out a strategy for payback against the present Premier League leaders in a fixture that was rescheduled to this week because of European commitments.

The Price of Achievement and European Exhaustion

Glasner has, in a sense, been a victim of his own achievements. Guiding Palace to their maiden major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final subsequently ushered in the rigors of European football for the first time. These demands are taking a toll on several weary squad members, many of whom have hardly had a break all season.

The manager fielded an entirely changed team, including four teenagers, in their final Conference League fixture. Yet, for the Arsenal game, he admitted he will have "no option" but to choose the bulk of his first-choice team, which looked extremely jaded as they unusually let in four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Must. Yes, must," he affirmed.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Team Dilemmas

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are distinct. The manager must balance his ambition to win a another 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 harmed their title hopes.

Arteta had implemented several changes for that cup tie but was compelled to bring on his "big-hitters" after the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to assist Jesus for a decisive goal in a move that left Glasner "incensed" over a potential offside, with no VAR available—a scenario that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-game unbeaten run versus Palace, including seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in last season's League Cup meeting and two in a subsequent league win before sustaining a long-term knee injury, looks set to begin for the first time since then setback. Arteta revealed the forward wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football means to him.

"We're accustomed to it," commented Arteta on the congested schedule. "In my view this week was the sole 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 progress, Arsenal pose a formidable test for a Palace side urgently in need of rejuvenation as the festive schedule ramps up.