Glasner Hopes to Rally Jaded Crystal Palace as Revenge Versus The Gunners Awaits.

You could forgive Oliver Glasner for wishing to spend a restful few days with his family in Austria ahead of Christmas, rather than gearing up for Crystal Palace's 29th game of the campaign—a Carabao Cup quarter-final against Arsenal. However, the suggestion that Palace might focus on other tournaments was swiftly dismissed by their boss.

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

There is a clear difference in Glasner's strategy to cup tournaments relative to his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This first was evident during Palace's run to the League Cup quarter-finals in his first full season in command. Under Hodgson, the team had previously been knocked out from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner selected his strongest lineup for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a showdown with Arsenal.

That prior quarter-final match ended in a three-two loss at the Emirates Stadium, due to a somewhat controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having been ahead at half-time. Now, Glasner must figure out a plan for payback versus the present Premier League leaders in a match that was moved to this week owing to European commitments.

The Price of Achievement and European Exhaustion

Glasner has, in a sense, been a victim of his own success. Leading Palace to their first major trophy with a win in the FA Cup final subsequently brought the demands of European football for the first time. These pressures are taking a toll on several fatigued squad members, many of whom have barely enjoyed a rest all term.

The coach deployed an completely changed team, featuring four youngsters, in their last Conference League match. However, ahead of the Arsenal game, he conceded he will have "little choice" but to pick the majority of his preferred side, which appeared extremely jaded as they uncharacteristically conceded four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Have to. Yes, have to," he affirmed.

Arsenal's Perspective and Team Dilemmas

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are distinct. The manager must juggle his desire to win a another major trophy with extreme practicality. Last year, a muscle injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game against Palace just days after their Carabao Cup comeback significantly harmed their title aspirations.

Arteta had implemented several changes for that League Cup match but was compelled to bring on his "big-hitters" after the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to assist Jesus for a crucial goal in a move that left Glasner "furious" over a possible offside, with no VAR available—a situation that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-match unbeaten streak versus Palace, featuring seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in last season's League Cup encounter and two in a later league win before suffering a long-term knee injury, is expected 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're used to it," commented Arteta on the congested schedule. "I think 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."

With important players coming back from injury and a determination to advance, Arsenal present a formidable challenge for a Crystal Palace side desperately in need of a spark as the festive period intensifies.