Oliver Glasner Hopes to Energize Fatigued Palace as Revenge Against Arsenal Looms.

You could forgive Oliver Glasner for wishing to enjoy a quiet period with his family in Austria ahead of Christmas, instead of gearing up for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth fixture of the campaign—a Carabao Cup quarter-final against Arsenal. Yet, the idea that Palace could focus on other tournaments was firmly rejected by their boss.

"No, I don't think so," stated Glasner following his team's side's 4-1 hammering to Leeds. "If anyone tells me that we lose on purpose, the next day I'm no longer the manager any more."

There is a clear contrast in Glasner's strategy to cup tournaments versus his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This initially was evident during Palace's run to the League Cup last eight in his debut complete campaign in command. Under Hodgson, the team had previously been eliminated from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner selected his best side for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a showdown with Arsenal.

That previous last-eight match concluded in a three-two loss at the Emirates Stadium, following a slightly controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having led at half-time. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner must devise a strategy for payback against the current Premier League leaders in a match that was rescheduled to this week owing to European commitments.

A Cost of Success and European Fatigue

Glasner has, in a way, been a victim of his own success. Guiding Palace to their first major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final subsequently brought the demands of continental football for the very first time. These pressures are catching up with several fatigued players, many of whom have hardly had a rest all season.

The coach deployed an entirely different lineup, including four teenagers, in their final Conference League match. Yet, ahead of the Arsenal clash, he admitted he will have "little choice" but to pick the majority of his preferred team, which looked decidedly jaded as they unusually conceded four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Must. Yes, have to," he affirmed.

Arsenal's Perspective and Selection Dilemmas

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

Arteta had made a number of changes for that cup tie but was compelled to bring on 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 "incensed" over a possible offside, with no VAR in operation—a scenario that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-match unbeaten streak versus Palace, including seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup meeting and two in a subsequent league win before suffering a serious knee injury, looks set to begin for the first time since that injury. Arteta revealed the forward wrote a "beautiful" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We are accustomed to it," commented Arteta on the congested schedule. "In my view this week was the only complete week we had to prepare. The rest until February at least is will be like this. We have a wonderful chance to go into the semi-final of a tournament so we will be ready."

Amid key players coming back from injury and a determination to progress, Arsenal present a formidable test for a Crystal Palace side urgently in need of a spark as the holiday period intensifies.