🔗 Share this article

You could excuse Oliver Glasner for wishing to spend a restful few days with his family in Austria ahead of Christmas, rather than preparing for Crystal Palace's 29th match of the season—a Carabao Cup quarter-final with Arsenal. Yet, the idea that Palace could focus on other tournaments was firmly rejected by their head coach.

"No, I do not believe that," declared Glasner after his team's side's four-one hammering to Leeds. "If anyone tells me that we are defeated deliberately, the following day I'm not the coach any more."

There is a marked difference in Glasner's approach to cup competitions relative to his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This initially was evident during Palace's run to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals 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 assumed control at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner picked his best side for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a meeting with Arsenal.

That previous last-eight tie ended in a 3-2 defeat at the Emirates Stadium, due to a somewhat controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having been ahead at the interval. Now, Glasner must figure out a plan for revenge against the present Premier League leaders in a fixture 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. Leading Palace to their first major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final has ushered in the rigors of European football for the first time. These pressures are taking a toll on several exhausted players, many of whom have barely had a break all season.

The coach deployed an entirely changed side, featuring four youngsters, in their final Conference League match. Yet, ahead of the Arsenal clash, he conceded he will have "no option" but to pick the bulk of his preferred team, which appeared extremely jaded as they uncharacteristically conceded four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Have to. Yes, must," he said.

The Gunners' Viewpoint and Selection Considerations

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are distinct. The manager must juggle his desire to win a another major trophy with extreme practicality. Last year, a muscle injury to Bukayo Saka suffered in a league game versus Palace just days after their Carabao Cup fightback greatly damaged their title hopes.

Arteta had implemented a number of changes for that League Cup tie but was compelled to introduce his "big-hitters" after the break. Saka came off the bench to assist Jesus for a decisive 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 are on an eight-match winning run versus Palace, featuring seven wins. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in last season's League Cup meeting and two in a later league win before sustaining a long-term knee injury, is expected to start for the first time since that injury. Arteta disclosed the forward wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football means to him.

"We're accustomed to it," commented Arteta on the busy fixture list. "In my view this week was the sole full week we had to get ready. The period until February at least is going to be like this. We have a wonderful opportunity to go into the semi-final of a tournament so we will be prepared."

With key players returning from injury and a determination to advance, Arsenal pose a daunting challenge for a Crystal Palace side urgently in need of rejuvenation as the festive period intensifies.