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You could forgive Oliver Glasner for wishing to enjoy a quiet period with his family in Austria before Christmas, instead of preparing for Crystal Palace's 29th fixture of the campaign—a League Cup quarter-final against Arsenal. Yet, the idea that Palace might prioritize other tournaments was swiftly rejected by their manager.

"Absolutely not, I do not believe that," declared Glasner after his team's side's 4-1 hammering to Leeds. "If anyone tells me that we lose on purpose, the following day I'm no longer the manager any more."

There is a marked contrast in Glasner's strategy to domestic cup tournaments compared to his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This first was evident during Palace's journey to the Carabao Cup last eight in his debut complete campaign in charge. Under Hodgson, the club had previously been eliminated from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner picked his strongest team for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a showdown with Arsenal.

That prior last-eight match ended in a three-two defeat at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to a rather controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having been ahead at the interval. Now, Glasner must figure out a strategy for payback against the present Premier League pace-setters in a match that was rescheduled to this week owing to European obligations.

The Cost of Success and Continental Fatigue

Glasner has, in a sense, been a victim of his own success. Leading Palace to their first 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 several exhausted players, many of whom have barely had a break all term.

The coach deployed an completely different side, including four teenagers, in their last Conference League fixture. Yet, for the Arsenal clash, he admitted he will have "little choice" but to select the bulk of his preferred side, which looked decidedly jaded as they uncharacteristically conceded four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Must. Yes, have to," he affirmed.

The Gunners' Viewpoint and Selection Dilemmas

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are distinct. The manager must balance his desire to win a another major trophy with extreme pragmatism. The previous season, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka suffered in a league game against Palace just days after their Carabao Cup fightback significantly damaged their title hopes.

Arteta had implemented a number of changes for that League Cup match but was compelled 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 "incensed" over a potential offside, with no VAR available—a situation that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-match unbeaten run against Palace, including seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in last season's League Cup encounter and a brace in a later league win before sustaining a long-term knee injury, looks set to begin for the first time since then injury. Arteta revealed the forward wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We're used to it," commented Arteta on the congested schedule. "I think this week was the sole complete week we had to get ready. The rest until February at least is will be like this. We have a beautiful chance to go into the semi-final of a competition so we will be ready."

With important players coming back from injury and a determination to advance, Arsenal present a daunting test for a Crystal Palace side desperately in need of a spark as the festive schedule intensifies.