Glasner Seeks to Motivate Weary Palace as Payback Versus Arsenal Awaits.

One might excuse Oliver Glasner for wishing to enjoy a quiet few days with his family in Austria before Christmas, rather than preparing for Crystal Palace's 29th fixture of the campaign—a League Cup quarter-final with Arsenal. Yet, the notion that Palace might focus on other tournaments was swiftly dismissed by their boss.

"No, I don't think so," stated Glasner after his team's side's four-one defeat to Leeds. "If somebody informs me that we are defeated deliberately, the following day I'm not the manager anymore."

There exists a stark contrast in Glasner's strategy to cup competitions versus his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This first became clear during Palace's journey to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals in his first complete campaign in charge. Under Hodgson, the club had previously been knocked out from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner picked his best team for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a meeting with Arsenal.

That previous quarter-final tie ended in a 3-2 loss at the Emirates Stadium, following a somewhat controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having been ahead at the interval. Now, Glasner must figure out a strategy for payback against the current Premier League leaders in a fixture that was moved to this week because of European commitments.

A Cost of Achievement and European Fatigue

Glasner has, in a sense, been a casualty of his own achievements. Guiding Palace to their first major trophy with a win in the FA Cup final has ushered in the demands of continental football for the first time. These demands are taking a toll on some weary squad members, many of whom have barely enjoyed a break all term.

The manager deployed an entirely changed lineup, featuring four teenagers, in their final Conference League fixture. However, ahead of the Arsenal clash, he conceded he will have "little choice" but to select the majority of his preferred team, which appeared decidedly lethargic as they unusually let in four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Have to. Yes, have to," he affirmed.

The Gunners' Perspective and Selection Dilemmas

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are different. The boss must juggle his desire to win a second major trophy with considerable practicality. The previous season, a muscle injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game versus Palace just days after their Carabao Cup comeback significantly harmed their title hopes.

Arteta had made several changes for that cup tie but was compelled to bring on his "key players" after the break. Saka came off the bench to assist Jesus for a crucial goal in a passage of play that left Glasner "furious" over a possible offside, with no VAR available—a situation 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 sustaining a serious knee injury, looks set to begin for the first since that injury. Arteta revealed the striker wrote a "beautiful" letter to his teammates about what football means to him.

"We're used to it," commented Arteta on the congested fixture list. "I think this week was the only full week we had to get ready. The period until February at least is will be similar. We have a wonderful chance to go into the semi-final of a competition so we will be ready."

Amid key players coming back from injury and a determination to progress, Arsenal pose a formidable challenge for a Palace side urgently in need of rejuvenation as the holiday period ramps up.