Glasner Seeks to Motivate Weary Palace as Revenge Against The Gunners Looms.

You could excuse Oliver Glasner for preferring to spend a quiet few days with his loved ones in Austria ahead of Christmas, instead of gearing up for Crystal Palace's 29th fixture of the season—a League Cup last-eight clash against Arsenal. Yet, the suggestion that Palace could focus on other competitions was quickly rejected by their head coach.

"Absolutely not, I don't think so," remarked Glasner after his team's side's four-one defeat to Leeds. "If anyone informs me that we lose on purpose, the following day I'm no longer the coach anymore."

There is a marked difference in Glasner's strategy to domestic cup tournaments compared to his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This first 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 took over at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner picked his strongest side for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a meeting with Arsenal.

That prior last-eight tie concluded in a three-two defeat at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to a slightly controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having led at half-time. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner must figure out a strategy for payback versus the current Premier League pace-setters in a match that was rescheduled to this week owing to European commitments.

The Price of Achievement and Continental Exhaustion

Glasner has, in a sense, been a casualty of his own success. Guiding Palace to their maiden major trophy with a win in the FA Cup final subsequently brought the demands of European football for the very first time. These demands are catching up with several exhausted squad members, many of whom have hardly enjoyed a break all season.

The coach fielded an entirely different team, including four teenagers, in their last Conference League fixture. However, ahead of the Arsenal game, he admitted he will have "little choice" but to pick the bulk of his first-choice team, which appeared decidedly lethargic as they uncharacteristically conceded four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Must. Yes, must," he said.

The Gunners' Viewpoint and Selection Dilemmas

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are different. The manager must balance his ambition to win a second major trophy with considerable practicality. Last year, 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 several changes for that cup match but was compelled to bring on his "key players" after 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 situation that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-game unbeaten run versus Palace, including seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in last season'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 since that injury. Arteta disclosed the striker wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We're used to it," said Arteta on the congested schedule. "I think this week was the sole complete 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 tournament so we will be ready."

With important players coming back from injury and a desire to progress, Arsenal pose a daunting test for a Palace side urgently in need of rejuvenation as the festive schedule ramps up.