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One might forgive Oliver Glasner for wishing to spend a quiet period with his loved ones in Austria before Christmas, rather than gearing up for Crystal Palace's 29th game of the season—a Carabao Cup last-eight clash with Arsenal. Yet, the notion that Palace might focus on other competitions was quickly rejected by their head coach.

"No, I do not believe that," remarked Glasner after his team's side's four-one defeat to Leeds. "Should somebody informs me that we are defeated deliberately, the following day I'm no longer the manager anymore."

There exists a stark difference in Glasner's approach to cup competitions versus his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This first became clear during Palace's run to the League Cup last eight in his debut complete campaign in charge. Under Hodgson, the team had already been eliminated from each of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner fielded his best side for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a meeting with Arsenal.

That previous last-eight match concluded in a three-two defeat at the Emirates Stadium, following a somewhat controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having led at the interval. Now, Glasner now faces the task to devise a strategy for revenge versus the current Premier League leaders in a match that was rescheduled to this week because of European commitments.

The Price of Success and European Fatigue

Glasner has, in a way, been a victim of his own achievements. Leading Palace to their first major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final has ushered in the challenges of European football for the first time. These demands are catching up with several fatigued players, many of whom have barely enjoyed a rest all term.

The manager deployed an entirely changed lineup, including four youngsters, in their last Conference League match. However, for the Arsenal clash, he conceded he will have "no option" but to choose the majority of his first-choice side, which appeared extremely jaded as they unusually let in four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Must. Yes, must," he stated.

Arsenal's Perspective and Selection Considerations

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are distinct. The boss must juggle his ambition to win a another major trophy with considerable pragmatism. The previous season, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game against Palace only days after their Carabao Cup comeback greatly harmed their title aspirations.

Arteta had implemented several changes for that cup tie but was forced to bring on his "big-hitters" following the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to assist Jesus for a crucial goal in a passage of play that left Glasner "furious" over a possible offside, with no VAR available—a scenario that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-game winning streak versus Palace, featuring seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in last season's League Cup encounter 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 forward wrote a "beautiful" letter to his teammates about what football means to him.

"We're used to it," said Arteta on the busy schedule. "In my view this week was the sole full 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 semi-final of a competition so we will be ready."

With important players returning from injury and a desire to progress, Arsenal pose a daunting test for a Crystal Palace side urgently in need of a spark as the holiday period intensifies.