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One might excuse Oliver Glasner for preferring to enjoy a restful few days with his loved ones in Austria before Christmas, rather than preparing for Crystal Palace's 29th fixture of the campaign—a League Cup last-eight clash with Arsenal. However, the notion that Palace could prioritize other tournaments was quickly dismissed by their boss.

"No, I don't think so," stated Glasner after his team's side's four-one loss to Leeds. "If anyone tells me that we lose deliberately, the following day I'm no longer the manager any more."

There is a marked difference in Glasner's philosophy to domestic cup competitions versus his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This initially became clear during Palace's journey to the Carabao Cup last eight in his debut complete campaign in charge. Under Hodgson, the club had previously been knocked out from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner fielded his first-choice side for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a meeting with Arsenal.

That prior last-eight tie concluded in a three-two loss at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to a slightly debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having been ahead at the interval. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner now faces the task to figure out a strategy for payback versus the present Premier League pace-setters in a fixture that was rescheduled to this week owing to European obligations.

A Price of Achievement and Continental Fatigue

Glasner has, in a sense, been a victim of his own achievements. Leading Palace to their maiden major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final subsequently ushered in the challenges of European football for the first time. These demands are catching up with some exhausted squad members, many of whom have hardly had a break all season.

The coach deployed an entirely different team, featuring four youngsters, in their last Conference League fixture. Yet, for the Arsenal clash, he conceded he will have "no option" but to pick the majority of his first-choice side, which looked decidedly jaded as they unusually let in four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Must. Yes, must," he said.

The Gunners' Perspective and Selection Dilemmas

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are different. The manager must balance his ambition to win a another major trophy with considerable pragmatism. The previous season, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game against Palace just days after their Carabao Cup fightback greatly harmed their title hopes.

Arteta had implemented a number of changes for that cup tie but was compelled to introduce his "big-hitters" following the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to assist Jesus for a crucial goal in a passage of play that left Glasner "furious" over a possible offside, with no VAR available—a scenario that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-game unbeaten run versus Palace, featuring seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in last season's League Cup meeting and a brace in a later league win before suffering a serious knee injury, is expected to begin for the first time since then injury. Arteta revealed the striker wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football means to him.

"We're used to it," commented Arteta on the congested schedule. "I think this week was the only complete week we had to prepare. The rest until February at least is going to be like this. We have a beautiful chance to go into the last four of a tournament so we will be ready."

Amid important players returning from injury and a determination to advance, Arsenal pose a formidable test for a Palace side desperately in need of a spark as the holiday period intensifies.