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One might excuse Oliver Glasner for wishing to enjoy a restful period with his family in Austria before Christmas, instead of preparing for Crystal Palace's 29th fixture of the season—a Carabao Cup quarter-final against Arsenal. However, the suggestion that Palace might prioritize other competitions was quickly rejected by their boss.

"No, I don't think so," declared Glasner following his team's side's 4-1 hammering to Leeds. "Should anyone tells me that we are defeated deliberately, the next day I'm not the coach any more."

There exists a clear contrast in Glasner's philosophy to domestic cup competitions versus his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This initially was evident during Palace's journey to the League Cup last eight in his debut complete campaign in charge. Under Hodgson, the club had already been eliminated from each of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner fielded his strongest lineup for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a meeting with Arsenal.

That prior last-eight tie concluded in a three-two loss at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to a rather controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having been ahead at half-time. Now, Glasner must figure out a plan for payback against the present Premier League leaders in a fixture that was rescheduled to this week because of 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 maiden major trophy with a win in the FA Cup final has ushered in the rigors of European football for the first time. These demands are taking a toll on some fatigued players, many of whom have barely enjoyed a rest all term.

The coach selected an completely different side, featuring four youngsters, in their final Conference League fixture. However, for the Arsenal clash, he conceded he will have "no option" but to pick the majority of his first-choice side, which looked decidedly jaded as they unusually conceded four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Must. Yes, have to," he said.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Team Considerations

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are distinct. The boss must balance his desire to win a second major trophy with extreme pragmatism. Last year, a muscle injury to Bukayo Saka suffered in a league game versus Palace just days after their Carabao Cup comeback significantly damaged their title aspirations.

Arteta had implemented a number of changes for that League Cup match but was compelled to bring on his "big-hitters" after the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to set up Jesus for a crucial goal in a passage of play that left Glasner "incensed" over a possible offside, with no VAR available—a scenario that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-match winning streak against Palace, featuring seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup encounter and two in a subsequent league win before sustaining a serious knee injury, looks set to begin for the first time since then injury. Arteta disclosed the forward wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We're used to it," said Arteta on the busy fixture list. "I think this week was the only complete week we had to get ready. The period until February at least is will be like this. We have a beautiful opportunity to go into the semi-final of a tournament so we will be ready."

Amid important players returning from injury and a determination to progress, Arsenal present a daunting test for a Palace side desperately in need of a spark as the holiday period ramps up.