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You could excuse Oliver Glasner for preferring to spend a quiet period with his family in Austria ahead of Christmas, rather than gearing up for Crystal Palace's 29th game of the campaign—a League Cup quarter-final against Arsenal. However, the suggestion that Palace could focus on other competitions was firmly dismissed by their boss.

"Absolutely not, I do not believe that," declared Glasner following his team's side's 4-1 hammering to Leeds. "Should anyone tells me that we are defeated on purpose, the next day I'm no longer the manager anymore."

There exists a marked contrast in Glasner's approach to cup competitions versus his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This initially was evident during Palace's run to the League Cup last eight in his debut full season in charge. Under Hodgson, the club had already been knocked out from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner fielded his strongest team for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a showdown with Arsenal.

That prior quarter-final match concluded in a 3-2 defeat at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to a somewhat debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having led at half-time. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner now faces the task to devise a plan for payback versus the current Premier League pace-setters in a fixture that was rescheduled to this week owing to European obligations.

The Price of Achievement and European Fatigue

Glasner has, in a way, been a victim of his own success. Guiding Palace to their first major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final subsequently ushered in the rigors of continental football for the first time. These demands are catching up with some weary squad members, many of whom have hardly had a rest all season.

The manager deployed an completely different team, including four teenagers, in their last Conference League fixture. Yet, for the Arsenal game, he conceded he will have "no option" but to select the majority of his preferred team, which looked extremely lethargic as they uncharacteristically let in four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Have to. Yes, must," he affirmed.

The Gunners' Viewpoint and Team Considerations

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are distinct. The manager must balance his desire to win a second major trophy with considerable practicality. The previous season, a muscle injury to Bukayo Saka suffered in a league game versus Palace just days after their Carabao Cup comeback greatly damaged their title hopes.

Arteta had made a number of changes for that cup match but was compelled to bring on his "big-hitters" following the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to set up Jesus for a decisive goal in a move that left Glasner "furious" over a potential offside, with no VAR available—a situation that will be the case again on Tuesday.

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

"We're used to it," said Arteta on the busy schedule. "I think this week was the only complete week we had to get ready. The period until February at least is going to be similar. We have a wonderful chance to go into the last four of a tournament so we will be prepared."

With important players returning from injury and a determination to progress, Arsenal present a daunting challenge for a Crystal Palace side desperately in need of a spark as the holiday schedule intensifies.