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You could forgive Oliver Glasner for wishing to enjoy a quiet period with his family in Austria before Christmas, rather than preparing for Crystal Palace's 29th match of the campaign—a Carabao Cup quarter-final against Arsenal. However, the notion that Palace could prioritize other competitions was quickly rejected by their head coach.

"No, I do not believe that," stated Glasner after his team's side's four-one hammering to Leeds. "If anyone informs me that we are defeated on purpose, the following day I'm not the manager anymore."

There is a stark difference in Glasner's philosophy to domestic cup competitions relative to his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This first was evident during Palace's run to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals in his debut full season in charge. Under Hodgson, the club had already been eliminated from each of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner fielded his strongest lineup for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a meeting with Arsenal.

That prior last-eight match concluded in a three-two defeat at the Emirates Stadium, due to a slightly debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though 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 present Premier League leaders in a match that was rescheduled to this week because of European commitments.

The Cost of Achievement and European Exhaustion

Glasner has, in a sense, been a victim of his own achievements. Guiding Palace to their maiden major trophy with a win in the FA Cup final has ushered in the demands of European football for the first time. These demands are catching up with some weary squad members, many of whom have barely had a break all season.

The coach deployed an completely changed team, featuring four youngsters, in their last Conference League match. However, for the Arsenal clash, he conceded he will have "no option" but to pick the bulk of his first-choice side, which looked decidedly lethargic as they uncharacteristically conceded four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Have to. Yes, must," he said.

The Gunners' Viewpoint and Team Considerations

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are distinct. The manager must balance his desire to win a second major trophy with extreme practicality. Last year, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka suffered in a league game against Palace only days after their Carabao Cup fightback significantly damaged their title hopes.

Arteta had made a number of changes for that cup match but was compelled to introduce his "key players" following the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to assist Jesus for a crucial goal in a passage of play that left Glasner "furious" over a potential offside, with no VAR in operation—a situation that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-match winning run versus Palace, featuring seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in last season's League Cup meeting and two in a later league win before sustaining a serious knee injury, is expected to start for the first time since then injury. Arteta disclosed the forward wrote a "beautiful" letter to his teammates about what football means to him.

"We are used to it," commented Arteta on the congested fixture list. "In my view this week was the only full week we had to prepare. The period until February at least is going to be similar. We have a beautiful chance to go into the last four of a tournament so we will be ready."

Amid important players coming back from injury and a desire to advance, Arsenal present a formidable test for a Crystal Palace side desperately in need of a spark as the holiday schedule ramps up.