A WEEK of football frenzy wouldn’t be complete without a huge clash at Wembley to top it all off.

Man City face Tottenham in the League Cup final on Sunday in front of 8,000 spectators, a measure that will be welcomed by both teams and fans alike.

In recent years, a rivalry has emerged between the two sides following some breathtaking moments in previous encounters.

Cup finals are notoriously open and it could go either way, with City having a strong League Cup final repertoire behind them, and Spurs holding a convincing record of making the impossible happen.

Aside from THAT night in Amsterdam, the most memorable performances from Tottenham’s Champions League campaign in 2019 came from the two legs they played against Pep Guardiola’s Cityzens. 

It’s hard to forget the exhilaration City expressed as Raheem Sterling’s “winning” goal hit the back of the net that fateful night, until all in a matter of about 30 seconds, looks of dismay were painted across the players and fans’ faces, as the goal was ruled offside.

During the 19-20 season, keeper Hugo Lloris saved an Ilkay Gundogan penalty ending the German’s 100 per cent career penalty record in front of the South stand, followed by a bit of magic from Steven Bergwijn on his debut, and a Heung Min Son special, Spurs went on to complete a decisive 2-0 win.

Going into the final, Spurs sit in sixth place in the league table, and City continue to rule the top spot — looking set to win it, being 11 points clear from second-place Manchester United.

City face missing key figure Kevin de Bruyne after he picked up an ankle injury during the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea last week.

The Belgian is expected to be fit for next week’s Champions League semi-final first leg against PSG, so it’s very possible that Guardiola won’t risk him.

In a post-match press conference on Wednesday, the City boss clarified: “I think if it's not really for this final hopefully, maybe he will be ready for the semi-finals of the Champions League.”

Fan favourite Phil Foden is most likely to take De Bruyne’s place, as his consistently sharp form is a clear driving force in City’s success. His development this season as an English player more than holding his own in a team of continental stars bodes well for the England national team in the Euros this summer.

The City backline require some re-engineering as regular starter John Stones is set to miss out on the final after seeing red at Villa Park for an appalling tackle on Jacob Ramsey in the 44th minute. 

Spurs also endure their fair share of injury concerns ahead of the match as star Striker Harry Kane missed their clash against Southampton on Wednesday, following an ankle injury suffered against Everton in the final moments of the match. 

Guardiola has previously called Tottenham “the Harry Kane team,” but he has now lost to them three times without Kane present in the team — even if the striker doesn’t make an appearance, which he will be fighting to get fit for, Spurs can still cause problems for City.

The question that must be asked — is the treble still achievable this season? Guardiola’s experience of winning silverware means that anything is possible. He has won the League Cup alone three years running, and will aim to start adding to his trophy haul this weekend.

As well as their proven starting XI that chops and changes, the strength of City’s bench is a worry for any team, with players such as Sterling, Riyad Mahrez and Bernardo Silva all able to come on and make an impact. 

With the timing of Jose Mourinho’s exit on Monday coming as a shock to many, the focus this weekend will fall on interim Spurs coach Ryan Mason, who began his term on the right foot, leading the squad to their first Premier League win since December 2019 in which they were behind at half time, against Southampton on Wednesday. 

It will be hard to predict Mason’s tactical plans, but following Gareth Bale and Son’s stellar second-half performances against the Saints, they can expect to be included, with recent absentee Dele Alli also likely to make an appearance.

After only spending a short amount of time with the players, it will be interesting to see what approach the ex-player makes in terms of the management of the team, and fans will hope to see a more distinctive attacking style of play that was associated with Spurs pre-Mourinho.

Mason said: “I want us to be brave and aggressive and play like Tottenham Hotspur.”

Both teams go into the match with a good chance of leaving Wembley with a trophy, and whatever the result, one can be certain that they will deliver an unforgettable display of top-quality football — exactly the kind of thing the fans want to see, rather than the plastic TV-friendly matches that the Super League wanted to offer. May the best team win!