Oliver Glasner Seeks to Energize Weary Crystal Palace as Revenge Versus Arsenal Awaits.

One might excuse Oliver Glasner for preferring to spend a restful few days with his loved ones in Austria ahead of Christmas, rather than gearing up for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth game of the campaign—a Carabao Cup last-eight clash against Arsenal. Yet, the notion that Palace could focus on other tournaments was quickly rejected by their head coach.

"No, I do not believe that," remarked Glasner following his team's side's four-one loss to Leeds. "If somebody 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 cup tournaments compared to his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This initially was evident during Palace's journey to the League Cup quarter-finals in his debut complete campaign in charge. Under Hodgson, the team had previously been eliminated from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner picked his strongest team for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a showdown with Arsenal.

That prior last-eight match concluded in a 3-2 loss at the Emirates Stadium, due to a slightly controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having led at half-time. Now, Glasner must figure out a strategy for payback versus the present Premier League leaders in a fixture that was moved to this week because of European commitments.

The Cost of Achievement and Continental Fatigue

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 rigors of continental football for the first time. These demands are catching up with some weary players, many of whom have hardly enjoyed a rest all term.

The coach selected an entirely different team, including four teenagers, in their final Conference League match. Yet, ahead of the Arsenal game, he admitted he will have "no option" but to pick the bulk of his first-choice team, which appeared decidedly lethargic as they unusually let in four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Have to. Yes, have to," he affirmed.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Team Considerations

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are different. The boss must balance his ambition to win a another major trophy with considerable pragmatism. Last year, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka suffered in a league game against Palace only days after their Carabao Cup comeback greatly damaged their title aspirations.

Arteta had implemented several changes for that cup tie but was compelled to introduce his "key players" after the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to set up Jesus for a crucial goal in a passage of play that left Glasner "furious" over a possible offside, with no VAR available—a situation that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-game winning streak against Palace, featuring seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in last season's League Cup encounter and two in a later league win before suffering a serious knee injury, is expected to begin for the first time since then injury. Arteta disclosed the striker wrote a "touching" 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 sole full week we had to prepare. The period until February at least is going to be similar. We have a beautiful opportunity to go into the semi-final of a competition so we will be prepared."

With important players returning from injury and a determination to progress, Arsenal present a daunting challenge for a Crystal Palace side desperately in need of a spark as the holiday schedule ramps up.