🔗 Share this article

You could forgive Oliver Glasner for preferring to enjoy a quiet few days with his loved ones in Austria ahead of Christmas, instead of preparing for Crystal Palace's 29th fixture of the season—a Carabao Cup last-eight clash with Arsenal. Yet, the suggestion that Palace might prioritize other tournaments was firmly rejected by their manager.

"Absolutely not, I do not believe that," stated Glasner following his team's side's four-one hammering to Leeds. "Should somebody tells me that we lose deliberately, the following day I'm not the manager anymore."

There exists a stark contrast in Glasner's strategy to cup tournaments compared to his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This first became clear during Palace's journey to the League Cup last eight in his debut complete campaign in command. Under Hodgson, the club had previously been eliminated from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner selected his best team for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a meeting with Arsenal.

That previous last-eight match ended in a three-two defeat at the Emirates Stadium, due to a slightly debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having been ahead at half-time. Now, Glasner now faces the task to figure out a plan for revenge versus the current Premier League pace-setters in a fixture that was moved to this week because of European commitments.

The Price of Success and European Fatigue

Glasner has, in a sense, been a victim of his own achievements. Guiding Palace to their first major trophy with a win in the FA Cup final subsequently ushered in the rigors of continental football for the first time. These demands are catching up with some fatigued squad members, many of whom have hardly had a rest all season.

The manager selected an entirely changed lineup, including four youngsters, in their last Conference League match. However, for the Arsenal game, he conceded he will have "no option" but to choose the majority of his preferred team, which appeared extremely jaded as they uncharacteristically let in four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Must. Yes, have to," he affirmed.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Team Dilemmas

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are distinct. The boss must juggle his ambition to win a second major trophy with considerable practicality. The previous season, a muscle injury to Bukayo Saka suffered in a league game versus Palace just days after their Carabao Cup comeback greatly damaged their title hopes.

Arteta had made several changes for that cup match but was compelled to bring on his "key players" following the break. Saka came off the bench to assist Jesus for a decisive 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 are on an eight-game unbeaten run versus Palace, featuring seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in last season's League Cup meeting and two in a later league win before sustaining a long-term knee injury, looks set to begin for the first since that injury. Arteta disclosed the forward wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We are used to it," commented Arteta on the congested fixture list. "In my view this week was the sole full week we had to get ready. The rest until February at least is will be like this. We have a beautiful chance to go into the last four of a tournament so we will be prepared."

With key players returning from injury and a desire to advance, Arsenal present a formidable test for a Crystal Palace side urgently in need of rejuvenation as the holiday schedule ramps up.