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One might forgive Oliver Glasner for wishing to enjoy a quiet period with his loved ones in Austria before Christmas, instead of preparing for Crystal Palace's 29th match of the season—a Carabao Cup last-eight clash with Arsenal. Yet, the idea that Palace might prioritize other tournaments was quickly dismissed by their boss.

"No, I do not believe that," declared 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 is a marked contrast in Glasner's approach to cup competitions compared to his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This first was evident during Palace's journey to the League Cup quarter-finals in his debut complete campaign in charge. Under Hodgson, the club had already been knocked out from each of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner selected his best team for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a encounter with Arsenal.

That prior last-eight tie ended in a 3-2 defeat at the Emirates Stadium, following a rather debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having led at half-time. Now, Glasner must figure out a plan for payback against the present Premier League pace-setters in a fixture that was rescheduled to this week owing to European commitments.

A Cost of Achievement and Continental Exhaustion

Glasner has, in a way, been a casualty of his own success. Guiding Palace to their maiden major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final has brought the demands of continental football for the very first time. These pressures are catching up with some exhausted players, many of whom have barely enjoyed a rest all term.

The coach fielded an completely different lineup, featuring four teenagers, in their final Conference League match. Yet, for the Arsenal game, he conceded he will have "little choice" but to pick the bulk of his first-choice team, which looked decidedly jaded as they uncharacteristically conceded four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Have to. Yes, have to," he affirmed.

The Gunners' Viewpoint and Team Considerations

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are different. The boss must balance his desire to win a second major trophy with extreme practicality. The previous season, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka suffered in a league game against Palace only days after their Carabao Cup fightback greatly harmed their title aspirations.

Arteta had made a number of changes for that cup tie but was compelled to introduce his "big-hitters" after the break. Saka came off the bench to assist Jesus for a decisive goal in a passage of play that left Glasner "incensed" over a potential offside, with no VAR available—a situation that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-match unbeaten run versus Palace, featuring seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup encounter and two in a subsequent league win before sustaining a serious knee injury, is expected to begin for the first since then setback. Arteta revealed the striker wrote a "beautiful" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We are used to it," said Arteta on the congested fixture list. "In my view this week was the sole complete week we had to get ready. The rest until February at least is will be similar. We have a wonderful chance to go into the last four of a tournament so we will be ready."

With key players coming back from injury and a desire to advance, Arsenal present a formidable challenge for a Palace side desperately in need of a spark as the festive period ramps up.