One might forgive Oliver Glasner for wishing to spend a quiet few days with his loved ones in Austria before Christmas, instead of gearing up for Crystal Palace's 29th game of the season—a Carabao Cup quarter-final with Arsenal. Yet, the idea that Palace might prioritize other competitions was firmly dismissed by their head coach.
"Absolutely not, I do not believe that," declared Glasner following his team's side's 4-1 defeat to Leeds. "Should anyone informs me that we lose on purpose, the next day I'm not the coach anymore."
There exists a clear contrast in Glasner's philosophy to domestic cup competitions relative to his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. This first was evident during Palace's journey to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals in his first full season 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 first-choice lineup for wins over Norwich, QPR, and Aston Villa, paving the way for a encounter with Arsenal.
That previous quarter-final tie ended in a 3-2 defeat at the Emirates Stadium, following a rather debated hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus, despite Palace having been ahead at half-time. Now, Glasner must figure out a plan for payback versus the current Premier League pace-setters in a fixture that was moved to this week because of European obligations.
A Cost of Success and European Fatigue
Glasner has, in a sense, been a casualty of his own achievements. Leading Palace to their first major trophy with victory in the FA Cup final subsequently brought the challenges of European football for the first time. These demands are taking a toll on several exhausted squad members, many of whom have barely had a break all season.
The coach fielded an completely changed team, including four teenagers, in their last Conference League match. 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 lethargic as they unusually conceded four goals from set-pieces versus Leeds. "Have to. Yes, must," he stated.
The Gunners' Perspective and Team Dilemmas
For Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, the situation are different. The manager must juggle his desire to win a second major trophy with considerable practicality. The previous season, a hamstring injury to Bukayo Saka sustained in a league game versus Palace just days after their Carabao Cup fightback significantly damaged their title aspirations.
Arteta had implemented a number of changes for that League Cup match but was forced to introduce his "big-hitters" after 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 be the case again on Tuesday.
Arsenal are on an eight-match unbeaten run versus Palace, featuring seven victories. 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, looks set to begin for the first time since that injury. Arteta revealed the forward wrote a "touching" letter to his teammates about what football signifies to him.
"We are accustomed to it," commented Arteta on the busy fixture list. "In my view this week was the only full week we had to prepare. The period until February at least is will be like this. We have a wonderful chance to go into the last four of a tournament so we will be prepared."
With important players coming back from injury and a desire to advance, Arsenal pose a formidable test for a Crystal Palace side desperately in need of rejuvenation as the holiday period intensifies.
