🔗 Share this article

You could excuse Oliver Glasner for wishing to enjoy a quiet period with his loved ones in Austria before Christmas, rather than preparing for Crystal Palace's twenty-ninth match of the season—a Carabao Cup last-eight clash against Arsenal. Yet, the suggestion that Palace might focus on other competitions was quickly rejected by their boss.

"Absolutely not, I don't think so," remarked Glasner after his team's side's four-one loss to Leeds. "Should somebody informs me that we are defeated deliberately, the following day I'm no longer the coach anymore."

There is a stark contrast in Glasner's philosophy to cup competitions versus his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This first was evident during Palace's run to the Carabao Cup last eight in his debut full season in charge. Under Hodgson, the club had already been eliminated from each of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner selected his first-choice team for victories over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a meeting with Arsenal.

That previous quarter-final match ended in a 3-2 loss at the Emirates Stadium, due to a rather controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having led at half-time. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner must devise a strategy for payback against the present Premier League leaders in a fixture that was moved to this week because of European obligations.

A Cost of Achievement and European Fatigue

Glasner has, in a way, been a victim of his own achievements. 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 first time. These demands are catching up with several fatigued squad members, many of whom have barely had a rest all term.

The manager selected an entirely changed team, featuring four youngsters, in their last Conference League fixture. However, for the Arsenal clash, he admitted he will have "no option" but to choose the majority of his preferred side, which appeared decidedly jaded as they unusually let in four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Must. Yes, must," he stated.

Arsenal's Perspective and Team Dilemmas

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are distinct. The boss must balance his desire to win a another major trophy with extreme practicality. The previous season, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka suffered in a league game against Palace only days after their Carabao Cup comeback greatly harmed their title aspirations.

Arteta had made a number of changes for that League Cup tie but was compelled to introduce his "key players" following the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to set up Jesus for a crucial goal in a move that left Glasner "furious" over a possible offside, with no VAR available—a situation that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-game 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 subsequent league win before sustaining a serious knee injury, is expected to begin for the first since then 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 congested schedule. "I think this week was the sole full week we had to get ready. The rest until February at least is going to be similar. We have a wonderful chance to go into the last four of a tournament so we will be ready."

With important players coming back from injury and a determination to advance, Arsenal pose a daunting test for a Crystal Palace side desperately in need of a spark as the holiday period ramps up.