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You could excuse Oliver Glasner for wishing to spend a restful period with his family in Austria ahead of Christmas, instead of gearing up for Crystal Palace's 29th game of the campaign—a League Cup quarter-final with Arsenal. Yet, the idea that Palace could prioritize other tournaments was quickly rejected by their manager.

"Absolutely not, I do not believe that," remarked Glasner after his team's side's four-one defeat to Leeds. "If somebody tells me that we are defeated deliberately, the following day I'm no longer the manager any more."

There exists a stark contrast in Glasner's philosophy to domestic cup tournaments versus his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This first was evident during Palace's journey to the League Cup quarter-finals in his debut full season in charge. Under Hodgson, the team had already been knocked out from each of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner picked his best lineup 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 defeat at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to a somewhat controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having been ahead at the interval. Now, Glasner now faces the task to devise a plan for payback versus the current Premier League leaders in a match that was moved to this week owing to European obligations.

The Price of Success and Continental Exhaustion

Glasner has, in a sense, been a casualty of his own achievements. Leading Palace to their maiden major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final subsequently brought the challenges of European football for the very first time. These demands are taking a toll on several fatigued squad members, many of whom have barely enjoyed a rest all season.

The coach fielded an entirely changed team, featuring four youngsters, in their last Conference League fixture. Yet, for the Arsenal clash, he conceded he will have "little choice" but to pick the majority of his first-choice team, which looked decidedly lethargic as they uncharacteristically let in four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Must. Yes, have to," he stated.

The Gunners' Viewpoint and Selection Dilemmas

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are distinct. The manager must balance his ambition to win a another major trophy with extreme practicality. Last year, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game versus Palace only days after their Carabao Cup comeback greatly damaged their title hopes.

Arteta had implemented several changes for that League Cup match but was compelled to introduce his "key players" after the break. Saka came off the bench to assist Jesus for a crucial goal in a move that left Glasner "incensed" over a potential offside, with no VAR in operation—a situation that will repeat again on Tuesday.

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

"We're accustomed to it," commented Arteta on the congested schedule. "I think this week was the sole full week we had to get ready. The rest until February at least is going to be similar. We have a wonderful chance to go into the last four of a competition so we will be ready."

With important players coming back from injury and a desire to advance, Arsenal pose a formidable test for a Palace side urgently in need of a spark as the holiday period intensifies.