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One might excuse Oliver Glasner for wishing to enjoy a restful period with his family in Austria ahead of Christmas, instead of preparing for Crystal Palace's 29th match of the campaign—a Carabao Cup last-eight clash against Arsenal. However, the suggestion that Palace could prioritize other tournaments was firmly rejected by their head coach.

"No, I do not believe that," declared Glasner after his team's side's four-one loss to Leeds. "Should anyone informs me that we lose on purpose, the following day I'm not the coach anymore."

There is a stark difference in Glasner's approach to domestic cup competitions relative to his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This initially was evident during Palace's journey to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals in his first full season in charge. Under Hodgson, the club had already been eliminated from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner picked his strongest lineup for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a meeting with Arsenal.

That prior last-eight match concluded in a 3-2 loss at the Emirates Stadium, due to a rather controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having led at the interval. Now, Glasner must devise a plan for payback against the current Premier League pace-setters in a match that was rescheduled to this week owing to European obligations.

A Cost of Achievement and European Fatigue

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 has ushered in the rigors of European football for the first time. These demands are taking a toll on some fatigued squad members, many of whom have barely enjoyed a rest all season.

The coach fielded an completely changed side, featuring four teenagers, in their final Conference League match. However, ahead of the Arsenal clash, he conceded he will have "little choice" but to pick the majority of his first-choice side, which appeared extremely lethargic as they unusually let in four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Have to. Yes, have to," he affirmed.

The Gunners' Perspective and Team Considerations

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are distinct. The boss must juggle his desire to win a another major trophy with extreme practicality. The previous season, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka suffered in a league game against Palace only days after their Carabao Cup fightback greatly damaged their title hopes.

Arteta had made several changes for that cup match but was compelled to bring on his "big-hitters" after the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to assist Jesus for a crucial goal in a move that left Glasner "incensed" over a possible offside, with no VAR available—a situation that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on 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 a brace in a subsequent league win before sustaining a serious knee injury, is expected to begin 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 accustomed to it," commented Arteta on the congested fixture list. "I think this week was the sole complete week we had to get ready. The period until February at least is will be similar. We have a wonderful chance to go into the semi-final of a tournament so we will be ready."

With key players returning from injury and a desire to progress, Arsenal present a formidable challenge for a Crystal Palace side urgently in need of a spark as the festive schedule ramps up.