Glasner Hopes to Rally Jaded Palace as Payback Versus Arsenal Looms.

One might excuse Oliver Glasner for preferring to spend a restful few days with his loved ones in Austria before Christmas, rather than gearing up for Crystal Palace's 29th game of the campaign—a Carabao Cup last-eight clash with Arsenal. Yet, the suggestion that Palace could prioritize other competitions was firmly dismissed by their boss.

"No, I don't think so," declared Glasner after his team's side's four-one loss to Leeds. "If anyone informs me that we lose deliberately, the next day I'm no longer the coach any more."

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

That prior quarter-final match concluded in a 3-2 loss at the Emirates Stadium, following a slightly controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having been ahead at half-time. Now, Glasner now faces the task to figure out a strategy for revenge versus the present Premier League leaders in a fixture that was moved to this week owing to European commitments.

The Price of Success and European Exhaustion

Glasner has, in a sense, been a victim of his own achievements. Guiding Palace to their maiden major trophy with a win in the FA Cup final has brought the demands of continental football for the first time. These demands are taking a toll on several weary squad members, many of whom have hardly had a rest all season.

The manager fielded an completely different side, featuring four youngsters, in their final Conference League match. However, ahead of the Arsenal clash, he admitted he will have "no option" but to choose the bulk of his first-choice team, which appeared extremely jaded as they unusually conceded four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Have to. Yes, have to," he affirmed.

The Gunners' Viewpoint and Team Considerations

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are distinct. The manager must juggle his ambition to win a second major trophy with extreme practicality. The previous season, a muscle injury to Bukayo Saka suffered in a league game against Palace only days after their Carabao Cup fightback greatly harmed their title aspirations.

Arteta had made several changes for that League Cup tie but was forced to introduce his "big-hitters" after the break. Saka was introduced from 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 available—a situation that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-match unbeaten run versus Palace, including seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup meeting and two in a later league win before suffering a long-term knee injury, looks set to start for the first time since that setback. Arteta revealed the forward wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We are accustomed to it," said Arteta on the congested fixture list. "I think this week was the only complete week we had to prepare. The rest until February at least is going to be similar. We have a beautiful chance to go into the last four of a competition so we will be ready."

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