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One might forgive Oliver Glasner for preferring to spend a restful few days with his loved ones in Austria before Christmas, instead of preparing for Crystal Palace's 29th fixture of the season—a Carabao Cup last-eight clash against Arsenal. Yet, the idea that Palace could prioritize other competitions was swiftly rejected by their head coach.

"No, I don't think so," remarked Glasner following his team's side's 4-1 hammering to Leeds. "If somebody tells me that we lose deliberately, the next day I'm no longer the manager any more."

There is a stark difference in Glasner's philosophy to domestic cup tournaments relative to his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This first became clear during Palace's run to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals in his first complete campaign in command. Under Hodgson, the team had already been knocked out from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner fielded his strongest lineup for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a meeting with Arsenal.

That previous quarter-final match concluded in a three-two defeat at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to a slightly controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having led at the interval. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner must figure out a plan for revenge versus the current Premier League leaders in a fixture that was moved to this week because of European commitments.

The Price of Success and European Exhaustion

Glasner has, in a sense, been a casualty of his own achievements. Guiding Palace to their first major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final subsequently ushered in the demands of continental football for the very first time. These pressures are taking a toll on some weary squad members, many of whom have hardly enjoyed a rest all term.

The coach deployed an entirely changed lineup, including four teenagers, in their last Conference League fixture. Yet, ahead of the Arsenal game, he conceded he will have "no option" but to select the majority of his first-choice team, which appeared decidedly jaded as they uncharacteristically conceded four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Must. Yes, must," he said.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Selection Dilemmas

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are different. The manager must juggle his desire to win a second major trophy with considerable practicality. Last year, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka suffered in a league game against Palace only days after their Carabao Cup fightback significantly damaged their title aspirations.

Arteta had implemented several changes for that cup tie but was forced to bring on his "key players" following the break. Saka came off the bench to assist Jesus for a crucial goal in a passage of play that left Glasner "furious" over a potential offside, with no VAR in operation—a scenario that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-match winning streak versus Palace, featuring seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup meeting and two in a later league win before suffering a serious knee injury, is expected to start for the first time since then injury. Arteta disclosed the striker wrote a "beautiful" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We are used to it," said Arteta on the busy fixture list. "In my view this week was the only 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 competition so we will be prepared."

Amid important players returning from injury and a determination to progress, Arsenal present a daunting test for a Palace side desperately in need of a spark as the holiday period ramps up.