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One might excuse Oliver Glasner for wishing to enjoy a restful period with his loved ones in Austria ahead of Christmas, instead of gearing up for Crystal Palace's 29th match of the season—a Carabao Cup quarter-final against Arsenal. However, the suggestion that Palace could prioritize other tournaments was firmly rejected by their head coach.

"No, I do not believe that," remarked Glasner after his team's side's 4-1 hammering to Leeds. "Should anyone tells me that we are defeated on purpose, the next day I'm no longer the coach any more."

There is a clear difference in Glasner's approach to domestic cup tournaments compared to his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This initially was evident during Palace's journey to the Carabao Cup last eight in his debut complete campaign in command. Under Hodgson, the club had already been knocked out from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner selected his best side for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a encounter with Arsenal.

That previous quarter-final match concluded in a three-two defeat at the Emirates Stadium, following a somewhat controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having led at the interval. Now, Glasner must figure out a strategy for revenge against the current Premier League leaders in a fixture that was moved to this week because of European commitments.

A 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 ushered in the rigors of continental football for the first time. These pressures are taking a toll on some fatigued players, many of whom have hardly enjoyed a rest all season.

The coach selected an completely different lineup, including four teenagers, in their last Conference League match. However, for the Arsenal game, he admitted he will have "no option" but to choose the majority of his preferred side, which appeared decidedly lethargic as they uncharacteristically conceded four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Must. Yes, have to," he affirmed.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Team Considerations

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are distinct. The boss must balance his ambition to win a another major trophy with extreme practicality. Last year, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka suffered in a league game versus Palace just days after their Carabao Cup comeback greatly damaged their title aspirations.

Arteta had implemented a number of changes for that League Cup match but was compelled to introduce his "big-hitters" after the break. Saka came off the bench to assist Jesus for a decisive goal in a move that left Glasner "incensed" over a potential offside, with no VAR in operation—a situation that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-game winning streak against Palace, featuring seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in last season's League Cup encounter and two in a subsequent league win before suffering a serious knee injury, looks set to begin for the first time since then injury. Arteta revealed the striker wrote a "beautiful" letter to his teammates about what football means to him.

"We're used to it," said Arteta on the busy schedule. "In my view this week was the only full week we had to prepare. The rest until February at least is going to be like this. 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 determination to advance, Arsenal pose a daunting challenge for a Crystal Palace side desperately in need of rejuvenation as the holiday period ramps up.