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You could forgive Oliver Glasner for preferring to spend a restful few days with his loved ones in Austria ahead of Christmas, instead of gearing up for Crystal Palace's 29th fixture of the campaign—a Carabao Cup quarter-final with Arsenal. However, the suggestion that Palace might prioritize other tournaments was quickly rejected by their manager.

"No, I don't think so," remarked Glasner after his team's side's 4-1 loss to Leeds. "Should somebody informs me that we are defeated on purpose, the next day I'm not the coach anymore."

There exists a stark contrast in Glasner's approach to domestic cup tournaments versus his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This first was evident during Palace's run to the League Cup quarter-finals in his debut full season in command. Under Hodgson, the team had previously been knocked out from each of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner fielded his best lineup for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a meeting with Arsenal.

That previous last-eight tie ended in a 3-2 loss at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to a slightly debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having led at the interval. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner now faces the task to devise a strategy for revenge against the current Premier League leaders in a match that was rescheduled to this week because of European obligations.

The Price of Achievement and Continental Exhaustion

Glasner has, in a way, been a victim of his own achievements. Guiding Palace to their maiden major trophy with a win in the FA Cup final has ushered in the demands of European football for the first time. These pressures are catching up with several fatigued squad members, many of whom have hardly enjoyed a rest all season.

The manager selected an entirely changed side, including four teenagers, in their last Conference League match. Yet, ahead of the Arsenal game, he admitted he will have "little choice" but to choose the bulk of his first-choice team, which looked decidedly jaded as they unusually let in four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Have to. Yes, must," he affirmed.

Arsenal's Perspective and Team Dilemmas

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are different. The manager must balance his desire to win a another major trophy with considerable pragmatism. Last year, a muscle injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game against Palace only days after their Carabao Cup comeback greatly harmed their title hopes.

Arteta had made several changes for that cup tie but was forced to introduce his "big-hitters" following the break. Saka came off the bench to assist Jesus for a crucial goal in a passage of play that left Glasner "furious" over a potential offside, with no VAR in operation—a scenario that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-game unbeaten run versus Palace, featuring seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup encounter and two in a later league win before suffering a serious knee injury, is expected to begin for the first since that injury. Arteta revealed the forward wrote a "touching" 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 only complete week we had to prepare. The period until February at least is going to be like this. We have a beautiful opportunity to go into the semi-final of a tournament so we will be prepared."

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