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You could forgive Oliver Glasner for preferring 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 League Cup last-eight clash against Arsenal. Yet, the suggestion that Palace could focus on other tournaments was swiftly dismissed by their head coach.

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

There is a stark contrast in Glasner's strategy to cup tournaments versus his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This initially became clear during Palace's journey to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals in his first full season in command. Under Hodgson, the team had already been knocked out from each of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner picked his best side for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a showdown with Arsenal.

That previous last-eight tie ended in a 3-2 loss at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to a rather controversial 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 present Premier League pace-setters in a match that was moved to this week owing to European commitments.

The Cost of Success and Continental Fatigue

Glasner has, in a way, been a casualty of his own achievements. Leading Palace to their first major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final has brought the challenges of European football for the very first time. These demands are catching up with some fatigued squad members, many of whom have hardly enjoyed a break all season.

The manager selected an completely different team, featuring four youngsters, in their final Conference League match. However, for the Arsenal game, he admitted he will have "no option" but to pick the majority of his preferred side, which looked decidedly lethargic as they unusually let in four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Must. Yes, must," he stated.

The Gunners' Viewpoint and Selection Considerations

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are different. The manager must juggle his ambition to win a another major trophy with considerable pragmatism. Last year, a muscle injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game against Palace just days after their Carabao Cup fightback significantly harmed their title hopes.

Arteta had made a number of changes for that cup tie but was compelled to introduce his "key players" after the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to assist Jesus for a decisive goal in a move that left Glasner "furious" over a possible offside, with no VAR in operation—a scenario that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-match unbeaten run against Palace, featuring seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in last season's League Cup meeting and two in a subsequent league win before suffering a long-term knee injury, looks set to begin for the first time since then setback. Arteta revealed the striker wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football means to him.

"We are accustomed to it," said Arteta on the busy schedule. "In my view this week was the sole complete week we had to get ready. The period until February at least is will be similar. We have a wonderful chance to go into the semi-final of a tournament so we will be prepared."

Amid key 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 holiday schedule intensifies.