🔗 Share this article

One might forgive Oliver Glasner for preferring to enjoy a quiet few days with his loved ones in Austria ahead of Christmas, instead of gearing up for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth match of the campaign—a League Cup last-eight clash with Arsenal. However, the notion that Palace could focus on other tournaments was firmly rejected by their manager.

"Absolutely not, I do not believe that," declared Glasner after his team's side's four-one hammering to Leeds. "If anyone informs me that we lose deliberately, the next day I'm not the coach any more."

There exists a stark contrast in Glasner's approach to cup competitions relative to his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This first was evident during Palace's journey to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals in his first full season in command. Under Hodgson, the team had already been eliminated from each of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner selected his best team for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a encounter with Arsenal.

That prior last-eight match concluded in a three-two defeat at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to a slightly controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having been ahead at half-time. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner now faces the task to devise a plan for revenge against the present Premier League leaders in a fixture that was moved to this week because of European obligations.

The Price of Success and Continental Exhaustion

Glasner has, in a way, been a victim of his own success. Guiding Palace to their maiden major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final subsequently brought the rigors of European football for the first time. These pressures are catching up with several fatigued squad members, many of whom have hardly enjoyed a break all term.

The coach selected an entirely changed lineup, including four teenagers, in their last Conference League fixture. However, ahead of the Arsenal clash, he admitted he will have "little choice" but to pick the bulk of his first-choice team, which appeared decidedly lethargic as they uncharacteristically conceded four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Must. Yes, must," he said.

The Gunners' Viewpoint and Selection Dilemmas

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are different. The boss must balance his desire to win a second major trophy with considerable practicality. The previous season, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka suffered in a league game versus Palace only days after their Carabao Cup comeback significantly harmed their title hopes.

Arteta had made several changes for that League Cup match but was compelled to bring on his "key players" following the break. Saka came off the bench to set up Jesus for a decisive goal in a passage of play that left Glasner "incensed" over a possible offside, with no VAR in operation—a situation that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-match winning run versus Palace, featuring seven wins. 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, is expected to begin for the first since then injury. Arteta revealed the striker wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football means to him.

"We're used to it," said Arteta on the busy fixture list. "In my view this week was the only complete week we had to prepare. The rest until February at least is going to be like this. We have a wonderful chance to go into the semi-final of a competition so we will be ready."

With key players returning from injury and a desire to advance, Arsenal pose a formidable test for a Palace side urgently in need of rejuvenation as the festive period intensifies.