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You could forgive Oliver Glasner for preferring to spend a restful period with his family in Austria before Christmas, instead of gearing up for Crystal Palace's 29th game of the season—a League Cup quarter-final against Arsenal. However, the suggestion that Palace could focus on other competitions was quickly rejected by their boss.

"No, I don't think so," declared Glasner after his team's side's 4-1 defeat to Leeds. "If anyone tells me that we lose deliberately, the next day I'm no longer the coach any more."

There is a clear difference in Glasner's strategy to domestic cup tournaments relative to his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This first became clear during Palace's journey to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals in his debut full season in charge. Under Hodgson, the team had already been eliminated from each of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner selected his best side for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a showdown with Arsenal.

That prior last-eight match ended in a 3-2 defeat at the Emirates Stadium, due to a slightly debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having been ahead at the interval. Now, Glasner must figure out a strategy for revenge versus the present Premier League pace-setters in a fixture that was moved to this week because of European obligations.

A Price of Achievement and Continental Exhaustion

Glasner has, in a way, been a casualty of his own success. Guiding Palace to their maiden major trophy with a win in the FA Cup final subsequently ushered in the demands of European football for the very first time. These demands are catching up with several exhausted squad members, many of whom have barely enjoyed a rest all term.

The manager selected an completely changed team, including four teenagers, in their last Conference League match. Yet, ahead of the Arsenal clash, he admitted he will have "little choice" but to choose the majority of his preferred team, which looked extremely jaded as they uncharacteristically let in four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Have to. Yes, have to," he said.

Arsenal's Perspective and Team Considerations

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are different. The manager must balance his ambition to win a second major trophy with considerable practicality. Last year, a muscle injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game versus Palace just days after their Carabao Cup fightback significantly harmed their title hopes.

Arteta had made several changes for that cup match but was compelled to introduce his "big-hitters" after the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to set up Jesus for a decisive goal in a passage of play that left Glasner "incensed" over a potential offside, with no VAR available—a situation that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-match winning run versus Palace, including seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup encounter and two in a later league win before suffering a long-term knee injury, is expected to begin for the first time since then setback. Arteta disclosed the forward wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football means to him.

"We're used to it," said Arteta on the congested fixture list. "In my view this week was the only full week we had to prepare. The period until February at least is will be similar. We have a wonderful chance to go into the last four of a tournament so we will be prepared."

With key players coming back from injury and a desire to advance, Arsenal pose a daunting test for a Crystal Palace side desperately in need of rejuvenation as the holiday schedule ramps up.