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You could excuse Oliver Glasner for preferring to enjoy a quiet few days with his family in Austria before Christmas, rather than preparing for Crystal Palace's 29th game of the campaign—a Carabao Cup last-eight clash with Arsenal. Yet, the suggestion that Palace might prioritize other competitions was swiftly rejected by their manager.

"No, I don't think so," remarked Glasner after his team's side's four-one hammering to Leeds. "If anyone tells me that we lose on purpose, the next day I'm no longer the manager anymore."

There is a clear difference in Glasner's philosophy to cup tournaments relative to his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This initially became clear during Palace's journey to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals in his debut full season in command. Under Hodgson, the club had previously been eliminated from each of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner selected his first-choice lineup for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a encounter with Arsenal.

That previous last-eight match concluded in a 3-2 defeat at the Emirates Stadium, following a slightly controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having led at the interval. Now, Glasner now faces the task to figure out a plan for payback versus the present Premier League leaders in a match that was moved to this week owing to European obligations.

The Price of Success and Continental Exhaustion

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

The coach fielded an entirely changed lineup, including four teenagers, in their last Conference League fixture. However, ahead of the Arsenal game, he admitted he will have "no option" but to select the majority of his preferred side, which appeared decidedly jaded as they uncharacteristically let in four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Have to. Yes, have to," he said.

The Gunners' Perspective and Selection Dilemmas

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are different. The boss must juggle his ambition to win a another major trophy with considerable practicality. The previous season, a muscle injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game versus Palace only days after their Carabao Cup comeback significantly harmed their title hopes.

Arteta had implemented a number of changes for that cup match but was forced to introduce his "key players" following the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to assist Jesus for a crucial goal in a move that left Glasner "incensed" over a possible offside, with no VAR available—a situation that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-match unbeaten streak against Palace, including seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup meeting and two in a later league win before sustaining a long-term knee injury, looks set to begin for the first since that injury. Arteta revealed the forward wrote a "beautiful" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

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

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