🔗 Share this article

One might forgive Oliver Glasner for preferring to spend a quiet few days with his loved ones in Austria before Christmas, instead of gearing up for Crystal Palace's 29th match of the season—a Carabao Cup last-eight clash with Arsenal. However, the notion that Palace might prioritize other tournaments was swiftly dismissed by their boss.

"Absolutely not, I don't think so," remarked Glasner following his team's side's 4-1 loss to Leeds. "Should anyone informs me that we lose deliberately, the following day I'm no longer the coach any more."

There exists a marked contrast in Glasner's strategy to cup competitions versus his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This initially was evident during Palace's journey to the League Cup quarter-finals in his debut complete campaign in command. Under Hodgson, the club had already been knocked out from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner selected his best lineup for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a meeting with Arsenal.

That prior last-eight match concluded in a three-two loss at the Emirates Stadium, due to a somewhat debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having been ahead at half-time. Now, Glasner must devise a plan for revenge versus the present Premier League pace-setters in a match that was rescheduled to this week because of European obligations.

The Price of Success and European Exhaustion

Glasner has, in a way, been a casualty of his own achievements. Leading Palace to their first major trophy with a win in the FA Cup final has ushered in the rigors of European football for the very first time. These pressures are catching up with some weary squad members, many of whom have hardly had a break all term.

The manager fielded an entirely different side, featuring four youngsters, in their last Conference League fixture. Yet, ahead of the Arsenal game, he conceded he will have "no option" but to select the majority of his preferred team, which appeared decidedly lethargic as they uncharacteristically conceded four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Must. Yes, must," he said.

The Gunners' Perspective and Selection Dilemmas

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are different. The manager must juggle his desire to win a second major trophy with considerable practicality. The previous season, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game versus Palace just days after their Carabao Cup fightback significantly damaged their title aspirations.

Arteta had implemented a number of changes for that cup tie but was forced to bring on his "key players" after the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to set up Jesus for a crucial goal in a move that left Glasner "furious" over a possible offside, with no VAR in operation—a situation that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-game winning run 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 serious knee injury, is expected to start for the first time since that setback. Arteta disclosed the forward wrote a "beautiful" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We're accustomed to it," said 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 similar. We have a beautiful opportunity to go into the last four of a tournament so we will be ready."

Amid key players returning from injury and a determination to progress, Arsenal pose a formidable test for a Palace side desperately in need of a spark as the festive schedule intensifies.