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You could forgive Oliver Glasner for wishing to spend a quiet period with his family in Austria ahead of Christmas, rather than preparing for Crystal Palace's 29th fixture of the season—a League Cup last-eight clash against Arsenal. However, the idea that Palace could prioritize other tournaments was firmly dismissed by their head coach.

"Absolutely not, I don't think so," declared Glasner following his team's side's four-one hammering to Leeds. "If anyone tells me that we are defeated deliberately, the next day I'm no longer the manager anymore."

There exists a clear contrast in Glasner's philosophy to domestic cup competitions versus his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This first became clear during Palace's run to the League Cup quarter-finals in his first full season in charge. Under Hodgson, the team had already 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 wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a encounter with Arsenal.

That prior quarter-final tie ended in a 3-2 loss at the Emirates Stadium, due to a rather debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having led at the interval. Now, Glasner must figure out a plan for revenge versus the present Premier League leaders in a match that was rescheduled to this week because of European obligations.

A Cost of Success and European Exhaustion

Glasner has, in a sense, been a victim of his own achievements. Guiding Palace to their first major trophy with a win in the FA Cup final subsequently brought the demands of European football for the very first time. These pressures are taking a toll on some exhausted squad members, many of whom have barely enjoyed a rest all season.

The manager selected an entirely changed team, featuring four youngsters, in their final Conference League match. However, for the Arsenal game, he conceded he will have "no option" but to pick the majority of his preferred team, which appeared decidedly lethargic as they unusually let in four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Must. Yes, must," he said.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Team Considerations

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are different. The manager must juggle his ambition to win a another major trophy with considerable pragmatism. Last year, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka suffered in a league game versus Palace just days after their Carabao Cup fightback greatly damaged their title aspirations.

Arteta had made a number of changes for that cup tie but was forced to bring on his "big-hitters" following 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 possible offside, with no VAR in operation—a scenario that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-match unbeaten run against Palace, including seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in last season's League Cup meeting and a brace in a later league win before suffering a long-term knee injury, is expected to start for the first since that injury. Arteta revealed the forward wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football means to him.

"We're accustomed to it," said Arteta on the congested schedule. "I think 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 wonderful chance to go into the semi-final of a competition so we will be prepared."

Amid key players returning from injury and a desire to advance, Arsenal present a formidable challenge for a Crystal Palace side desperately in need of a spark as the festive schedule ramps up.