Oliver Glasner Hopes to Rally Weary Crystal Palace as Revenge Against Arsenal Beckons.

One might excuse Oliver Glasner for preferring to enjoy a restful few days with his family in Austria ahead of Christmas, rather than preparing for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth match of the campaign—a League Cup last-eight clash against Arsenal. Yet, the suggestion that Palace might prioritize other tournaments was swiftly rejected by their head coach.

"Absolutely not, I don't think so," remarked Glasner after his team's side's four-one defeat to Leeds. "If anyone informs me that we lose deliberately, the following day I'm not the manager anymore."

There exists a marked contrast in Glasner's approach to cup competitions compared to his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This first became clear during Palace's run to the League Cup last eight in his first complete campaign in charge. Under Hodgson, the team had previously been knocked out from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner fielded his first-choice lineup for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a meeting with Arsenal.

That prior quarter-final match ended in a three-two loss at the Emirates Stadium, due to a rather debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having led at half-time. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner now faces the task to figure out a strategy for payback against the current Premier League leaders in a match that was moved to this week because of European commitments.

The Price of Success and Continental Fatigue

Glasner has, in a way, been a casualty of his own success. Leading Palace to their first major trophy with a win in the FA Cup final subsequently ushered in the challenges of continental football for the first time. These demands are catching up with some weary players, many of whom have hardly had a break all term.

The coach selected an completely changed side, including four teenagers, in their final Conference League match. However, for the Arsenal game, he conceded he will have "no option" but to choose the bulk of his preferred team, which appeared decidedly lethargic as they unusually conceded four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Have to. Yes, must," he stated.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Team Considerations

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are different. The manager must juggle his ambition to win a second major trophy with extreme pragmatism. The previous season, a muscle injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game against Palace just days after their Carabao Cup fightback greatly damaged their title aspirations.

Arteta had implemented several changes for that League Cup tie but was forced to introduce his "big-hitters" following the break. Saka came off the bench to set up Jesus for a crucial goal in a passage of play that left Glasner "furious" over a possible offside, with no VAR available—a scenario that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-game unbeaten run against Palace, including seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in last season's League Cup meeting and two in a subsequent league win before suffering a serious knee injury, looks set to start for the first since that setback. Arteta disclosed the forward wrote a "beautiful" letter to his teammates about what football means to him.

"We're used to it," said Arteta on the busy schedule. "I think this week was the sole full week we had to get ready. The period until February at least is going to be similar. We have a beautiful opportunity to go into the last four of a competition so we will be prepared."

Amid important players coming back from injury and a desire to advance, Arsenal present a daunting challenge for a Palace side desperately in need of a spark as the holiday period ramps up.