Glasner Seeks to Rally Jaded Palace as Payback Against Arsenal Awaits.

One might forgive Oliver Glasner for preferring to spend a restful few days with his family in Austria before Christmas, instead of preparing for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth match of the season—a Carabao Cup last-eight clash with Arsenal. Yet, the idea that Palace might prioritize other tournaments was quickly dismissed by their manager.

"No, I do not believe that," declared Glasner following his team's side's 4-1 defeat to Leeds. "Should somebody tells me that we lose deliberately, the next day I'm no longer the manager any more."

There exists a stark difference in Glasner's approach to cup competitions relative to his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This first became clear during Palace's journey to the Carabao Cup last eight in his first complete campaign in charge. Under Hodgson, the club had previously been eliminated from each of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner picked his strongest team for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a meeting with Arsenal.

That prior last-eight tie concluded in a 3-2 loss at the Emirates Stadium, following a rather controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having led at half-time. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner must devise a plan for revenge versus the current Premier League pace-setters in a fixture that was rescheduled to this week because of European obligations.

The Cost 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 subsequently ushered in the demands of European football for the first time. These demands are catching up with some exhausted players, many of whom have hardly had a rest all season.

The manager fielded an entirely different team, featuring four teenagers, in their last Conference League fixture. Yet, for the Arsenal clash, he conceded he will have "no option" but to pick the majority of his preferred team, which appeared decidedly lethargic as they uncharacteristically conceded four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Must. Yes, have to," he stated.

The Gunners' Viewpoint and Selection Considerations

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are different. The boss must juggle his desire to win a another major trophy with considerable practicality. The previous season, a muscle injury to Bukayo Saka suffered in a league game against Palace only days after their Carabao Cup fightback significantly damaged their title aspirations.

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

Arsenal are on an eight-game winning run versus Palace, including seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in last season's League Cup encounter and two in a subsequent league win before sustaining a serious knee injury, looks set to begin for the first time since that injury. Arteta disclosed the striker wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football means to him.

"We're accustomed to it," commented Arteta on the congested schedule. "In my view this week was the only full week we had to get ready. The rest until February at least is will be similar. We have a wonderful chance to go into the semi-final of a competition so we will be ready."

With important players coming back from injury and a desire to advance, Arsenal pose a daunting challenge for a Palace side desperately in need of a spark as the festive schedule ramps up.