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You could forgive Oliver Glasner for preferring to enjoy a restful period with his loved ones in Austria ahead of Christmas, instead of gearing up for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth game of the season—a Carabao Cup last-eight clash with Arsenal. However, the idea that Palace might prioritize other competitions was swiftly rejected by their boss.

"Absolutely not, I don't think so," remarked Glasner following his team's side's four-one loss to Leeds. "If anyone tells me that we are defeated on purpose, the next day I'm no longer the coach anymore."

There is a clear difference in Glasner's strategy to domestic cup tournaments compared to his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This initially became clear during Palace's run to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals in his debut full season in command. Under Hodgson, the club had previously been knocked out from each of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner picked his strongest team for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a encounter with Arsenal.

That prior quarter-final match ended in a three-two loss at the Emirates Stadium, due to a rather controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having been ahead at the interval. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner now faces the task to devise a strategy for payback against the current Premier League pace-setters in a match that was moved to this week owing to European commitments.

The Cost of Achievement and Continental Exhaustion

Glasner has, in a sense, been a casualty of his own achievements. Guiding Palace to their maiden major trophy with a win in the FA Cup final subsequently brought the challenges of continental football for the very first time. These pressures are taking a toll on several exhausted players, many of whom have hardly enjoyed a break all term.

The coach fielded an entirely changed lineup, featuring four teenagers, in their final Conference League fixture. However, ahead of the Arsenal clash, he admitted he will have "little choice" but to choose the majority of his preferred side, which appeared extremely jaded as they uncharacteristically conceded four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Have to. Yes, have to," he said.

The Gunners' Perspective and Selection Dilemmas

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are distinct. The boss must juggle his desire to win a second major trophy with considerable practicality. Last year, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game against Palace only days after their Carabao Cup comeback greatly harmed their title hopes.

Arteta had implemented a number of changes for that League Cup match but was compelled to bring on his "big-hitters" after the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to set up Jesus for a crucial goal in a move that left Glasner "furious" over a possible offside, with no VAR in operation—a situation that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-match unbeaten streak versus Palace, featuring seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup meeting and two in a later league win before sustaining a long-term knee injury, looks set to begin for the first since then setback. Arteta disclosed the striker wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football means to him.

"We are used to it," said Arteta on the congested fixture list. "In my view this week was the sole full week we had to prepare. The period until February at least is going to be like this. We have a wonderful opportunity to go into the semi-final of a tournament so we will be ready."

With important players returning from injury and a desire to advance, Arsenal pose a formidable test for a Palace side urgently in need of rejuvenation as the holiday period ramps up.