Glasner Hopes to Energize Fatigued Crystal Palace as Revenge Against The Gunners Looms.

You could forgive Oliver Glasner for wishing to spend a quiet period with his loved ones in Austria before Christmas, rather than preparing for Crystal Palace's 29th match of the campaign—a Carabao Cup quarter-final with Arsenal. Yet, the notion that Palace might prioritize other competitions was swiftly dismissed by their head coach.

"No, I don't think so," stated Glasner following his team's side's 4-1 hammering to Leeds. "If anyone tells me that we are defeated deliberately, the next day I'm not the coach any more."

There is a clear difference in Glasner's approach to cup tournaments versus his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This initially became clear during Palace's run to the League Cup quarter-finals in his first full season in charge. Under Hodgson, the team had previously been knocked out from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner picked his strongest team for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a showdown with Arsenal.

That previous last-eight tie ended in a 3-2 defeat at the Emirates Stadium, following a somewhat debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having been ahead at half-time. Now, Glasner now faces the task to devise a strategy for revenge versus the present Premier League pace-setters in a match that was moved to this week owing to European commitments.

A Cost of Success and European Fatigue

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 European football for the very first time. These demands are taking a toll on some exhausted squad members, many of whom have hardly had a rest all season.

The coach selected an entirely different lineup, featuring four youngsters, in their last Conference League fixture. Yet, for the Arsenal clash, he admitted he will have "no option" but to select the majority of his preferred team, which looked decidedly lethargic as they unusually conceded four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Have to. Yes, must," he stated.

The Gunners' Perspective and Team Dilemmas

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are different. The boss must balance his desire to win a second major trophy with considerable pragmatism. The previous season, a muscle 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 implemented a number of changes for that League Cup tie but was forced to bring on his "big-hitters" following the break. Saka came off the bench to assist Jesus for a crucial goal in a move that left Glasner "furious" over a potential offside, with no VAR in operation—a scenario that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-match winning run versus Palace, featuring seven victories. 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, looks set to start for the first time since that setback. Arteta disclosed the forward wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We're accustomed to it," commented Arteta on the busy fixture list. "I think this week was the only complete week we had to get ready. The rest until February at least is will be similar. We have a beautiful opportunity to go into the semi-final of a competition so we will be ready."

Amid key 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 festive schedule intensifies.