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One might excuse Oliver Glasner for preferring to enjoy a restful few days with his family in Austria ahead of Christmas, rather than gearing up for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth match of the season—a League Cup quarter-final with Arsenal. Yet, the idea that Palace might focus on other competitions was firmly dismissed by their boss.

"No, I don't think so," declared Glasner after his team's side's four-one defeat to Leeds. "If somebody informs me that we lose on purpose, the next day I'm not the coach any more."

There exists a stark difference in Glasner's approach to cup competitions versus his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This first was evident during Palace's journey to the League Cup quarter-finals 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 took over at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner picked his best lineup for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a encounter with Arsenal.

That previous quarter-final match concluded in a three-two loss at the Emirates Stadium, following a somewhat debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having been ahead at half-time. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner now faces the task to devise a strategy for payback versus the current Premier League leaders in a fixture that was rescheduled to this week owing to European commitments.

A Price of Achievement and Continental Exhaustion

Glasner has, in a way, been a victim of his own achievements. Leading Palace to their first major trophy with a win in the FA Cup final subsequently brought the challenges of continental football for the first time. These demands are taking a toll on several fatigued players, many of whom have hardly enjoyed a rest all term.

The coach fielded an entirely different side, featuring four teenagers, in their final Conference League match. Yet, ahead of the Arsenal game, he conceded he will have "no option" but to pick the bulk of his preferred side, which looked extremely jaded as they uncharacteristically let in four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Must. Yes, have to," he said.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Selection Dilemmas

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are different. The manager must juggle his ambition to win a second major trophy with extreme practicality. Last year, a muscle injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game against Palace just days after their Carabao Cup fightback greatly damaged their title aspirations.

Arteta had implemented a number of changes for that League Cup tie but was forced to bring on his "key players" following the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to set up Jesus for a crucial goal in a passage of play that left Glasner "furious" over a potential offside, with no VAR available—a scenario that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-match unbeaten run against Palace, including seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in last season's League Cup meeting and a brace in a later league win before suffering a long-term knee injury, is expected to start for the first since that injury. Arteta disclosed the striker wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We are accustomed to it," said Arteta on the congested fixture list. "In my view this week was the sole complete week we had to get ready. The period until February at least is going to be similar. We have a wonderful opportunity to go into the last four of a competition so we will be prepared."

Amid important players coming back from injury and a determination to advance, Arsenal pose a formidable challenge for a Palace side desperately in need of a spark as the festive period intensifies.