Glasner Seeks to Motivate Fatigued Crystal Palace as Revenge Versus Arsenal Awaits.

You could excuse Oliver Glasner for preferring to enjoy a restful few days with his loved ones in Austria before Christmas, rather than preparing for Crystal Palace's 29th fixture of the campaign—a League Cup last-eight clash with Arsenal. Yet, the suggestion that Palace might prioritize other tournaments was firmly dismissed by their head coach.

"Absolutely not, I do not believe that," declared Glasner following his team's side's four-one loss to Leeds. "If somebody informs me that we lose deliberately, the next day I'm not the coach any more."

There is a clear contrast in Glasner's philosophy to cup tournaments versus his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This first became clear during Palace's journey to the Carabao 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 by the time Glasner took over at Selhurst Park. In contrast, Glasner fielded his strongest side for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, setting up a meeting with Arsenal.

That previous last-eight tie ended in a 3-2 loss at the Emirates Stadium, following a somewhat debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, even though Palace having led at the interval. Almost exactly twelve months later, Glasner now faces the task to devise a plan for payback against the current Premier League leaders in a match that was moved to this week owing to European commitments.

A Cost of Success and Continental Fatigue

Glasner has, in a way, been a casualty of his own success. Leading Palace to their first major trophy with a win in the FA Cup final subsequently ushered in the demands of European football for the very first time. These pressures are catching up with several weary players, many of whom have barely enjoyed a break all season.

The manager fielded an completely changed side, including four youngsters, in their last Conference League match. Yet, for the Arsenal clash, he admitted he will have "no option" but to pick the bulk of his preferred team, which appeared extremely lethargic as they unusually conceded 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 situation are distinct. The manager must balance his ambition to win a another major trophy with extreme 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 damaged their title aspirations.

Arteta had implemented several 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 "incensed" over a possible offside, with no VAR available—a situation that will repeat again on Tuesday.

Arsenal are on an eight-match unbeaten run against Palace, including seven victories. Gabriel Jesus, who netted a hat-trick in last season's League Cup encounter and a brace in a later league win before sustaining a long-term knee injury, is expected to begin for the first time since that injury. Arteta disclosed the forward wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.

"We're accustomed to it," said Arteta on the congested fixture list. "In my view this week was the sole complete week we had to get ready. The period until February at least is going to be like this. We have a beautiful chance to go into the last four of a tournament so we will be ready."

Amid key players coming back from injury and a determination to advance, Arsenal pose a daunting challenge for a Palace side urgently in need of rejuvenation as the holiday schedule intensifies.