Glasner Hopes to Motivate Jaded Palace as Payback Against The Gunners Beckons.

You could forgive Oliver Glasner for wishing to spend a restful few days with his family in Austria ahead of Christmas, instead of gearing up for Crystal Palace's 29th game of the campaign—a League Cup last-eight clash against Arsenal. However, the notion that Palace could focus on other tournaments was firmly dismissed by their head coach.

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

There is a clear difference in Glasner's approach to domestic cup tournaments versus his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This first became clear during Palace's journey to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals in his debut complete campaign in command. Under Hodgson, the club had already been knocked out from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup by the time Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner fielded his first-choice team for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a encounter with Arsenal.

That prior last-eight match concluded in a 3-2 defeat at the Emirates Stadium, thanks to a slightly controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having been ahead at the interval. Now, Glasner must figure out a plan for revenge versus the current Premier League leaders in a fixture that was rescheduled to this week owing to European obligations.

The Cost of Success and European Exhaustion

Glasner has, in a sense, been a victim of his own achievements. Guiding Palace to their maiden major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final subsequently brought the challenges of continental football for the first time. These pressures are taking a toll on several fatigued players, many of whom have hardly enjoyed a rest all season.

The manager selected an completely different team, including four teenagers, in their final Conference League fixture. However, ahead of the Arsenal clash, he admitted he will have "no option" but to choose the majority of his first-choice side, which appeared decidedly jaded as they uncharacteristically conceded four goals from set-pieces against Leeds. "Have to. Yes, have to," he stated.

The Gunners' Viewpoint and Selection Dilemmas

On Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are distinct. The boss must balance his desire to win a second major trophy with extreme pragmatism. The previous season, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game against Palace only days after their Carabao Cup comeback greatly damaged their title aspirations.

Arteta had implemented several changes for that League Cup match but was compelled to introduce his "key players" following the break. Saka was introduced from the bench to assist Jesus for a crucial goal in a move that left Glasner "incensed" over a possible offside, with no VAR in operation—a scenario that will be the case again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-game winning streak against Palace, featuring seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who scored a hat-trick in the previous campaign's League Cup meeting and a brace in a later league win before suffering a long-term knee injury, looks set to begin for the first time since that injury. Arteta revealed the striker wrote a "beautiful" 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 full week we had to prepare. The rest until February at least is will be like this. We have a beautiful opportunity to go into the last four of a competition so we will be ready."

With important players returning from injury and a determination to progress, Arsenal pose a daunting challenge for a Palace side desperately in need of a spark as the holiday period ramps up.