🔗 Share this article

One might forgive Oliver Glasner for wishing to enjoy a restful period with his family in Austria ahead of Christmas, instead of preparing for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth fixture of the season—a League Cup last-eight clash against Arsenal. However, the idea that Palace might prioritize other competitions was swiftly dismissed by their manager.

"No, I don't think so," stated Glasner after his team's side's 4-1 defeat to Leeds. "If somebody informs me that we lose deliberately, the next day I'm no longer the coach anymore."

There is a stark difference in Glasner's approach to cup tournaments versus his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This first became clear during Palace's run to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals in his debut complete campaign in charge. Under Hodgson, the club had previously been knocked out from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner picked his first-choice side for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a showdown with Arsenal.

That prior last-eight tie ended in a three-two 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 payback against the present Premier League pace-setters in a fixture that was rescheduled to this week owing to European commitments.

The Cost of Success and European Fatigue

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

The manager fielded an entirely changed team, including four youngsters, in their last Conference League match. Yet, ahead of the Arsenal game, he conceded he will have "no option" but to pick the bulk of his preferred side, which appeared decidedly jaded as they uncharacteristically conceded four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Must. Yes, have to," he said.

Arsenal's Viewpoint and Selection Dilemmas

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are different. The boss must balance his desire to win a another major trophy with extreme practicality. The previous season, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka suffered in a league game against Palace just days after their Carabao Cup fightback greatly damaged their title aspirations.

Arteta had made several changes for that League Cup tie but was forced to introduce his "key players" after the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to assist Jesus for a crucial goal in a passage of play that left Glasner "incensed" over a possible offside, with no VAR available—a scenario that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-match winning streak versus Palace, featuring seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup encounter and a brace in a later league win before suffering a serious knee injury, is expected to start for the first since that injury. Arteta revealed the striker wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football means to him.

"We are used to it," said Arteta on the busy schedule. "I think this week was the sole complete week we had to get ready. The period until February at least is will be similar. We have a wonderful opportunity to go into the semi-final of a tournament so we will be prepared."

With important players coming back from injury and a determination to advance, Arsenal present a daunting test for a Crystal Palace side urgently in need of a spark as the festive period ramps up.