It’s 29-year-old rookie Ryan Mason against Pep Guardiola, possibly the greatest manager of our generation.
It’s David v Goliath and most of us are expecting there is only going to be one winner from them going head to head. But even achilles was only as strong as his heel.
Tottenham have to believe they can go into this Carabao Cup final and expose any weak points in Guardiola’s Manchester City team. That isn’t easy to do, of course. Many more experienced managers have tried and failed.
But the sleep-deprived Mason said in Friday's press conference that they have been putting in the hours and doing extensive homework on their opponents.
It will be intriguing to see what tactical plan he comes up with. Mason will have spent so much time studying for his UEFA Pro Licence. Now here is the ultimate challenge.
Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham beat City to move top of the Premier League table in November. It was a performance of pure tactical discipline. Spurs had only 34 per cent possession, two shots on target, but won 2-0.
Will we see Mason’s Tottenham try to repeat that trick? Or will they look to get at City more? Mason has a huge call to make on Harry Kane. We all remember what happened in the 2019 Champions League final against Liverpool. Kane was rushed back and it didn’t go well.
Do you start a 50 per cent fit Kane? A 75 per cent fit Kane? Can he run comfortably, turn comfortably, shoot comfortably? Would Mason be brave enough to tell his striker he is on the bench if he didn’t feel it was right? Tottenham are allowed to use five substitutes, remember, so that might be where Kane makes the best impact.
SCORE PREDICTION: 3-0 to Manchester City.