🔗 Share this article

You could forgive Oliver Glasner for preferring to spend a restful few days with his loved ones in Austria ahead of Christmas, instead of gearing up for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth fixture of the season—a Carabao Cup last-eight clash against Arsenal. Yet, the idea that Palace could prioritize other tournaments was quickly dismissed by their head coach.

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

There is a stark difference in Glasner's philosophy to domestic cup tournaments versus his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This initially was evident during Palace's run to the Carabao Cup last eight in his first full season in charge. Under Hodgson, the team had previously been eliminated from each of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner fielded his first-choice lineup for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a encounter with Arsenal.

That previous last-eight tie concluded in a 3-2 defeat at the Emirates Stadium, following a rather controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having led at the interval. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner must devise a strategy for revenge against the present Premier League leaders in a fixture that was rescheduled to this week owing to European commitments.

The Cost of Achievement and Continental Fatigue

Glasner has, in a way, been a casualty of his own achievements. Leading Palace to their first major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final subsequently brought the challenges of continental football for the first time. These pressures are taking a toll on some fatigued players, many of whom have hardly enjoyed a break all term.

The coach fielded an completely different side, featuring four youngsters, in their last Conference League match. Yet, ahead of the Arsenal game, he admitted he will have "little choice" but to choose the majority of his preferred side, which looked decidedly jaded as they uncharacteristically conceded four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Have to. Yes, have to," he said.

Arsenal's Perspective and Team Considerations

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are distinct. The manager must juggle his ambition to win a another major trophy with extreme pragmatism. The previous season, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game against Palace just days after their Carabao Cup comeback significantly damaged their title aspirations.

Arteta had made a number of changes for that League Cup tie but was compelled to bring on his "big-hitters" after the break. Saka came off the bench to set up Jesus for a decisive goal in a move that left Glasner "incensed" over a potential offside, with no VAR available—a situation that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-game winning 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 subsequent league win before suffering a long-term knee injury, is expected to begin for the first since that setback. 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 fixture list. "In my view 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 competition so we will be ready."

With important players coming back from injury and a desire to advance, Arsenal pose a formidable challenge for a Crystal Palace side desperately in need of a spark as the festive period intensifies.