🔗 Share this article

One might excuse Oliver Glasner for preferring to spend a restful few days with his family in Austria ahead of Christmas, rather than gearing up for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth match of the campaign—a Carabao Cup quarter-final against Arsenal. Yet, the suggestion that Palace might prioritize other tournaments was firmly rejected by their head coach.

"No, I do not believe that," declared Glasner following his team's side's 4-1 hammering to Leeds. "If anyone informs me that we lose deliberately, the next day I'm no longer the manager any more."

There exists a clear difference in Glasner's philosophy to domestic cup tournaments relative to his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This initially became clear during Palace's journey to the League Cup last eight in his debut full season in command. Under Hodgson, the club had previously been eliminated from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner picked his strongest lineup for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a encounter with Arsenal.

That previous quarter-final tie concluded in a three-two defeat at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to a slightly controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having been ahead at half-time. Now, Glasner now faces the task to figure out a strategy for revenge versus the current Premier League pace-setters in a match that was moved to this week because of European commitments.

The Price of Achievement and European Exhaustion

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

The coach selected an entirely changed side, featuring four youngsters, in their last Conference League fixture. However, ahead of the Arsenal clash, he conceded he will have "no option" but to select the bulk of his preferred team, which appeared extremely lethargic as they uncharacteristically conceded four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Must. Yes, have to," he stated.

The Gunners' Viewpoint and Selection Considerations

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are different. The manager must balance his desire to win a another major trophy with considerable pragmatism. Last year, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka suffered in a league game versus Palace just days after their Carabao Cup comeback significantly harmed their title hopes.

Arteta had made a number of changes for that League Cup tie but was forced to introduce his "big-hitters" following the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to assist Jesus for a crucial goal in a move that left Glasner "incensed" over a potential offside, with no VAR in operation—a scenario that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-match unbeaten run against Palace, including seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in last season's League Cup meeting and a brace in a later league win before sustaining a long-term knee injury, looks set to begin for the first since that setback. Arteta disclosed the forward wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football means 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 get ready. The rest until February at least is will be like this. We have a wonderful opportunity to go into the last four of a competition so we will be prepared."

With key players returning from injury and a desire to progress, Arsenal present a formidable test for a Crystal Palace side desperately in need of rejuvenation as the festive schedule ramps up.