Glasner Aims to Energize Weary Palace as Payback Against Arsenal Looms.

One might forgive Oliver Glasner for preferring to spend a restful period with his loved ones in Austria before Christmas, rather than preparing for Crystal Palace's 29th match of the season—a Carabao Cup last-eight clash with Arsenal. Yet, the notion that Palace could focus on other competitions was quickly rejected by their manager.

"Absolutely not, I do not believe that," stated Glasner after his team's side's 4-1 defeat to Leeds. "If anyone tells me that we are defeated deliberately, the following day I'm not the manager anymore."

There is a marked contrast in Glasner's strategy to domestic cup competitions relative to his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This first became clear during Palace's run to the League Cup last eight in his first complete campaign in command. Under Hodgson, the team had previously been eliminated from each of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner selected his strongest side for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a encounter with Arsenal.

That prior quarter-final match ended in a 3-2 loss at the Emirates Stadium, following a slightly controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having been ahead at the interval. Now, Glasner now faces the task to figure out a strategy for payback against the present Premier League pace-setters in a match that was moved to this week owing to European commitments.

The Price of Success and European Fatigue

Glasner has, in a way, been a victim of his own success. 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 taking a toll on several exhausted players, many of whom have barely had a rest all season.

The manager deployed an completely changed lineup, including four youngsters, in their final Conference League match. Yet, for the Arsenal clash, he conceded he will have "little choice" but to pick the majority of his preferred side, which appeared decidedly lethargic as they unusually conceded four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Must. Yes, must," he said.

The Gunners' Perspective and Selection Dilemmas

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are distinct. The manager must balance his ambition to win a another major trophy with considerable practicality. Last year, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game versus Palace just days after their Carabao Cup fightback greatly damaged their title hopes.

Arteta had made several changes for that League Cup tie but was forced to bring on his "key players" after the break. Saka came off the bench to assist Jesus for a crucial goal in a passage of play that left Glasner "incensed" over a potential offside, with no VAR in operation—a scenario that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-game winning run versus Palace, featuring seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup meeting and a brace in a later league win before sustaining a serious knee injury, is expected to begin for the first time since that injury. Arteta disclosed the forward wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football means to him.

"We're accustomed to it," said Arteta on the congested fixture list. "I think this week was the sole complete week we had to prepare. The rest until February at least is will be like this. We have a beautiful chance to go into the semi-final of a tournament so we will be ready."

Amid important players coming back from injury and a determination to advance, Arsenal present a daunting test for a Palace side urgently in need of a spark as the holiday period intensifies.