Glasner Hopes to Motivate Fatigued Crystal Palace as Revenge Against Arsenal Beckons.

You could excuse Oliver Glasner for wishing to enjoy a quiet period with his family in Austria before Christmas, rather than preparing for Crystal Palace's 29th fixture of the season—a Carabao Cup quarter-final against Arsenal. Yet, the notion that Palace might focus on other tournaments was swiftly rejected by their manager.

"Absolutely not, I do not believe that," stated Glasner after his team's side's four-one defeat to Leeds. "If anyone tells me that we lose on purpose, the following day I'm not the manager anymore."

There exists a marked contrast in Glasner's approach to cup competitions versus his forerunner, Roy Hodgson. This initially was evident during Palace's journey to the League Cup last eight in his debut complete campaign in command. Under Hodgson, the team had previously been eliminated from both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup when Glasner assumed control at Selhurst Park. Conversely, Glasner selected his strongest lineup for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a meeting with Arsenal.

That previous last-eight tie concluded in a 3-2 defeat at the Emirates Stadium, following a somewhat controversial hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having led at the interval. Now, Glasner now faces the task to devise a plan for payback against the present Premier League pace-setters in a fixture that was rescheduled to this week owing to European commitments.

A Cost of Achievement and European Fatigue

Glasner has, in a sense, been a casualty of his own success. Guiding Palace to their maiden major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final subsequently ushered in the rigors of continental football for the very first time. These pressures are catching up with some exhausted players, many of whom have barely enjoyed a break all season.

The manager selected an completely changed side, featuring four teenagers, in their last Conference League match. However, for the Arsenal clash, he admitted he will have "no option" but to choose the majority of his preferred side, which looked decidedly lethargic as they unusually conceded four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Must. Yes, have to," he stated.

The Gunners' Perspective and Selection Dilemmas

For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the circumstances are different. The manager must juggle his desire to win a second major trophy with extreme pragmatism. The previous season, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka suffered in a league game against Palace only days after their Carabao Cup fightback greatly damaged their title aspirations.

Arteta had made a number of changes for that cup tie but was forced to introduce his "big-hitters" following the break. Saka came off the bench to assist Jesus for a crucial goal in a move that left Glasner "furious" over a potential offside, with no VAR available—a scenario that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal have an eight-match unbeaten streak against Palace, featuring seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in last season's League Cup meeting and a brace in a later league win before sustaining a long-term knee injury, looks set to begin for the first time since then setback. Arteta disclosed the forward wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football means to him.

"We're used to it," commented Arteta on the busy fixture list. "I think this week was the sole complete 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 last four of a tournament so we will be prepared."

With important players returning from injury and a desire to advance, Arsenal pose a daunting test for a Crystal Palace side desperately in need of a spark as the festive period intensifies.