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You could forgive Oliver Glasner for wishing to spend a restful period with his loved ones in Austria ahead of Christmas, instead of gearing up for Crystal Palace's 29th match of the campaign—a Carabao Cup last-eight clash with Arsenal. However, the notion that Palace could prioritize other competitions was quickly dismissed by their boss.

"Absolutely not, I don't think so," remarked Glasner following his team's side's four-one loss to Leeds. "Should somebody informs me that we are defeated on purpose, the following day I'm not the manager any more."

There exists a marked difference in Glasner's strategy to cup tournaments relative to his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This first became clear during Palace's run to the League Cup quarter-finals in his first complete campaign in command. Under Hodgson, the team had already been eliminated 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 victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a encounter with Arsenal.

That previous last-eight match ended in a 3-2 defeat at the Emirates Stadium, due to a somewhat controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having been ahead at half-time. Now, Glasner must devise a strategy for revenge versus the present Premier League pace-setters in a match that was rescheduled to this week because of European obligations.

A Price of Success and Continental Exhaustion

Glasner has, in a way, been a victim of his own achievements. Leading Palace to their maiden major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final has brought the rigors of European football for the very first time. These demands are catching up with some exhausted squad members, many of whom have barely enjoyed a rest all term.

The manager selected an completely changed team, featuring four youngsters, in their last Conference League match. However, for the Arsenal clash, he admitted he will have "no option" but to choose the bulk of his first-choice side, which looked extremely lethargic as they unusually conceded four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Must. Yes, have to," he stated.

Arsenal's Perspective and Team Considerations

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are distinct. The boss must balance his ambition to win a second major trophy with extreme pragmatism. Last year, a hamstring 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 League Cup tie but was compelled to bring on his "big-hitters" after the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to set up Jesus for a crucial goal in a passage of play that left Glasner "incensed" over a possible offside, with no VAR available—a scenario that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-match winning streak against Palace, including seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in last season's League Cup meeting and two in a later league win before sustaining a long-term knee injury, is expected to start for the first time since then setback. Arteta revealed the striker wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We are used to it," said Arteta on the busy schedule. "I think this week was the only full week we had to prepare. The rest until February at least is going to be similar. We have a wonderful opportunity to go into the semi-final of a tournament so we will be ready."

Amid key players returning from injury and a determination to advance, Arsenal pose a daunting test for a Crystal Palace side desperately in need of rejuvenation as the festive schedule ramps up.