🔗 Share this article

One might excuse Oliver Glasner for wishing to enjoy a quiet period with his loved ones in Austria ahead of Christmas, rather than gearing up for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth match of the season—a League Cup last-eight clash against Arsenal. Yet, the idea that Palace might focus on other tournaments was firmly dismissed by their head coach.

"No, I don't think so," stated Glasner following his team's side's four-one hammering to Leeds. "If somebody informs me that we are defeated deliberately, the next day I'm no longer the coach anymore."

There is a marked difference in Glasner's approach to domestic cup competitions versus his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This first was evident 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 took over at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner fielded his best lineup for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a meeting with Arsenal.

That prior quarter-final tie ended in a 3-2 defeat at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to a somewhat controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having been ahead at the interval. Now, Glasner must devise a strategy for revenge versus the present Premier League pace-setters in a match that was rescheduled to this week because of European obligations.

The Cost of Success and European Exhaustion

Glasner has, in a way, been a casualty of his own achievements. Guiding Palace to their maiden major trophy with a win in the FA Cup final subsequently brought the challenges of European football for the very first time. These pressures are catching up with several exhausted players, many of whom have hardly enjoyed a rest all season.

The manager selected an completely different team, featuring four youngsters, in their last Conference League fixture. Yet, ahead of the Arsenal clash, he admitted he will have "no option" but to choose the majority of his preferred side, which appeared decidedly lethargic as they unusually conceded four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Must. Yes, must," he said.

The Gunners' Perspective and Team Considerations

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are different. The manager must balance his ambition to win a second major trophy with extreme practicality. The previous season, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game versus Palace just days after their Carabao Cup comeback significantly damaged their title hopes.

Arteta had made a number of changes for that cup match but was forced to bring on his "big-hitters" after the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to set up Jesus for a decisive goal in a passage of play that left Glasner "incensed" over a potential offside, with no VAR in operation—a scenario that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-game winning streak versus Palace, including seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup encounter and a brace in a subsequent league win before sustaining a long-term knee injury, is expected to start for the first time since then setback. Arteta disclosed the forward wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

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

With important players returning from injury and a desire to advance, Arsenal pose a formidable challenge for a Palace side urgently in need of rejuvenation as the holiday schedule ramps up.