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You could forgive Oliver Glasner for preferring to spend a quiet few days with his family in Austria before Christmas, rather than gearing up for Crystal Palace's 29th fixture of the campaign—a League Cup quarter-final against Arsenal. However, the notion that Palace might focus on other tournaments was swiftly dismissed by their manager.

"Absolutely not, I do not believe that," remarked Glasner after his team's side's four-one loss to Leeds. "Should somebody informs me that we lose on purpose, the following day I'm no longer the manager anymore."

There is a stark contrast in Glasner's philosophy to domestic cup competitions compared to his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This first was evident during Palace's journey to the League Cup quarter-finals in his first complete campaign in command. Under Hodgson, the team had already been knocked out from each of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner picked his strongest team for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a encounter with Arsenal.

That previous last-eight match concluded in a three-two loss at the Emirates Stadium, due to a rather debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having been ahead at half-time. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner must figure out a strategy for payback versus the current Premier League leaders in a fixture that was moved to this week because of European commitments.

The Price of Success and European Fatigue

Glasner has, in a sense, been a casualty of his own achievements. Leading Palace to their maiden major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final subsequently ushered in the rigors of continental football for the very first time. These pressures are catching up with several weary players, many of whom have hardly enjoyed a break all season.

The manager selected an entirely changed team, featuring four teenagers, in their last Conference League fixture. Yet, for the Arsenal game, he admitted he will have "no option" but to select the bulk of his preferred team, which looked extremely jaded as they unusually conceded four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Have to. Yes, must," he said.

The Gunners' Viewpoint and Selection Considerations

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are distinct. The boss must balance his ambition to win a another major trophy with considerable practicality. The previous season, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka suffered in a league game versus 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 forced to bring on his "big-hitters" 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 repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-game winning streak versus Palace, including seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in last season's League Cup encounter and two 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 "beautiful" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We're accustomed to it," commented Arteta on the congested fixture list. "In my view this week was the only full week we had to prepare. The rest until February at least is going to be similar. We have a wonderful chance to go into the semi-final of a competition so we will be prepared."

Amid key players returning from injury and a desire to progress, Arsenal present a daunting test for a Crystal Palace side desperately in need of rejuvenation as the festive period intensifies.