🔗 Share this article

One might excuse Oliver Glasner for wishing to enjoy a restful period with his family in Austria before Christmas, instead of preparing for Crystal Palace's 29th game of the season—a Carabao Cup quarter-final with Arsenal. Yet, the notion that Palace could prioritize other competitions was quickly dismissed by their manager.

"Absolutely not, I don't think so," declared Glasner following his team's side's four-one hammering to Leeds. "Should somebody informs me that we are defeated deliberately, the following day I'm not the coach anymore."

There is a marked difference in Glasner's philosophy to cup competitions compared to his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This first became clear during Palace's journey to the League Cup last eight in his first complete campaign in command. Under Hodgson, the team had previously been knocked out from each of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner selected his strongest lineup for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a meeting with Arsenal.

That previous quarter-final tie ended in a three-two loss at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to a slightly debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having led at the interval. Now, Glasner now faces the task to devise a plan for payback against the current Premier League pace-setters in a fixture that was moved to this week because of European commitments.

A Cost of Achievement and European Exhaustion

Glasner has, in a sense, been a casualty of his own success. Leading Palace to their maiden major trophy with a win in the FA Cup final subsequently brought the demands of continental football for the very first time. These demands are catching up with several exhausted players, many of whom have barely had a rest all season.

The coach deployed an entirely different team, including four youngsters, in their last Conference League fixture. Yet, ahead of the Arsenal clash, he conceded he will have "no option" but to select the majority of his preferred team, which appeared extremely jaded as they uncharacteristically let in four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Have to. Yes, have to," he affirmed.

The Gunners' Perspective and Team Considerations

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are distinct. The boss must balance his desire to win a another major trophy with extreme practicality. The previous season, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game against Palace just days after their Carabao Cup comeback significantly harmed their title hopes.

Arteta had made several changes for that cup tie but was forced to bring on his "big-hitters" following the break. Saka came off the bench to assist Jesus for a decisive goal in a move that left Glasner "incensed" over a possible offside, with no VAR in operation—a scenario that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-match unbeaten streak versus Palace, including seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup meeting and a brace in a later league win before suffering a long-term knee injury, is expected to start for the first time since then injury. Arteta disclosed the forward wrote a "beautiful" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We are accustomed to it," commented Arteta on the congested fixture list. "In my view this week was the sole full week we had to get ready. The period until February at least is will be like this. We have a beautiful chance to go into the last four of a competition so we will be ready."

Amid key players returning 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 schedule ramps up.