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One might forgive Oliver Glasner for wishing to enjoy a restful few days with his loved ones in Austria before Christmas, rather than gearing up for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth fixture of the campaign—a League Cup last-eight clash against Arsenal. Yet, the notion that Palace could focus on other tournaments was quickly dismissed by their manager.

"No, I don't think so," declared Glasner after his team's side's four-one loss to Leeds. "Should anyone tells me that we lose on purpose, the next day I'm no longer the coach anymore."

There is a marked contrast in Glasner's approach to domestic cup tournaments versus his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This first became clear during Palace's journey to the Carabao Cup last eight in his first complete campaign in charge. Under Hodgson, the club had already been knocked out from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner selected his first-choice side for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a showdown with Arsenal.

That previous last-eight match ended in a three-two defeat at the Emirates Stadium, following a somewhat controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having been ahead at half-time. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner must devise a strategy for payback against the present Premier League pace-setters in a match that was rescheduled to this week because of European commitments.

The Price of Achievement and Continental Fatigue

Glasner has, in a way, been a casualty of his own achievements. Guiding Palace to their maiden major trophy with a win in the FA Cup final subsequently ushered in the rigors of continental football for the first time. These pressures are catching up with some weary players, many of whom have hardly enjoyed a rest all season.

The manager deployed an completely different team, featuring four youngsters, in their last Conference League match. Yet, ahead of the Arsenal clash, he conceded he will have "no option" but to select the bulk of his first-choice team, which appeared extremely jaded as they uncharacteristically conceded four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Must. Yes, have to," he stated.

The Gunners' Perspective and Selection Dilemmas

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are distinct. The boss must juggle his ambition to win a second major trophy with extreme practicality. Last year, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game against Palace just days after their Carabao Cup fightback significantly damaged their title aspirations.

Arteta had made a number of changes for that League Cup match but was forced to bring on his "big-hitters" following the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to set up Jesus for a decisive goal in a passage of play that left Glasner "furious" over a potential offside, with no VAR available—a scenario that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-match unbeaten streak versus Palace, featuring seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in last season's League Cup encounter and two in a subsequent league win before suffering a long-term knee injury, looks set to begin for the first time since then setback. Arteta disclosed the striker wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We're used to it," commented Arteta on the busy fixture list. "In my view this week was the only full week we had to prepare. The rest until February at least is will be like this. We have a beautiful chance to go into the semi-final of a tournament so we will be prepared."

Amid important players returning from injury and a desire to progress, Arsenal pose a daunting challenge for a Crystal Palace side desperately in need of rejuvenation as the holiday schedule intensifies.