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At the time Chelsea were searching for a successor for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, several managers were considered. It was an thorough process that saw the club holding talks with Thomas Frank before they eventually opted for Enzo Maresca.

The belief was that Maresca’s structured approach and emphasis on possession made him the ideal candidate for Chelsea’s roster of talented individuals. Frank, who had performed brilliantly at Brentford, had to wait for his next opportunity. Passed over by Manchester United after they dismissed Erik ten Hag, his opportunity arrived when Tottenham hired the Dane after firing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

Currently, Frank and Maresca face each other, both holding prestigious roles. Their relationship is not currently a established rivalry, but they shared some hard-fought encounters last season. Frank’s Brentford were unfortunate to suffer a 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge last December and created the superior chances when they drew 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two engaging games, made more fascinating by the divergent approaches between the coaches. Frank is considered a practical manager, more likely to be direct, play on the counter-attack, and wait for chances to execute an array of deadly set-piece strategies, whereas Maresca tends towards a strict philosophy. The Italian hails from the Pep Guardiola school; he prizes control of the ball.

Chelsea’s possession average of 59.7% this season is topped only by Liverpool in the Premier League. Frank adapts his tactics more. Spurs are not instinctively a defensive side – they are ranked seventh in the possession rankings, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is notable that their most impressive displays have come in games where they have ceded the possession. They were superb with a defensive setup in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, implemented an outstanding pressing game when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and destroyed Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those performances point to Spurs ought to play on the counter when they face Chelsea. Tottenham, it must be noted, have one win from their past seven home league games. The numbers are disappointing. Spurs’ record of 13 points from their last 18 home matches is the worst of any team to have been in the top flight during that period.

This is a difficult game to predict. Spurs are five points off the summit and undefeated in the Champions League. Chelsea are world champions and advanced to the last eight of the Carabao Cup this week. However, fans of both sides remain skeptical about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have grumbled about a absence of creativity when the responsibility is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s lament about their young side’s inexperience, lack of discipline, and toils against defensive setups.

The reality is that both managers are performing adequately. Chelsea could slip to 12th if they lose to Spurs, but there is mitigating circumstances to their inconsistent results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have taken a toll. A interrupted pre-season, due to the club competing deep at the Club World Cup, cannot be overlooked.

However, there is scope for progress, especially when it comes to keeping 11 players on the pitch. Liam Delap’s unnecessary red card during Wednesday’s Carabao Cup win against Wolves was Chelsea’s sixth such red card in nine games, including Maresca’s removal from the technical area during the win over Liverpool.

Maresca was displeased with Delap, who is banned for the visit to Spurs. But he is also thinking about how to make his team more effective against low blocks. The goals have slowed down for João Pedro, and more reliability is required from Chelsea’s young wingers.

Irritation grew during last weekend’s 2-1 home defeat by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their highest of the season, but their expected goals was 0.97. Sunderland’s adjustment to a five-man defense confused Maresca. Régis Le Bris had done his homework. Statistics revealing that it is only one victory from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its maximum this season implies that their fundamental philosophy is being weaponised and turned on them.

This is not a recent issue. It was zero victories from the four league games in which Chelsea had their highest possession stats last season, emphasizing a vulnerability when Maresca’s pursuit for control is taken to the limit. The threat is falling into ineffective control, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s term. José Mourinho’s comment about the team with the ball having the anxiety also comes to mind.

Maresca contests this view, but it is worth remembering that Chelsea had 33.5% possession when they produced their finest performance under the Italian and routed PSG in the Club World Cup final. Adaptability is a strength. Chelsea have plenty of fast attackers and are pulsating when they have space to attack.

Will Frank allow them freedom? Chelsea punished Postecoglou’s adventurous tactics on their past two visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will undoubtedly be more cautious. Is a switch to a five-man defense possible? Chelsea have conceded from three long throws this season. Spurs could have Kevin Danso launching balls into the box. They will observe that Chelsea have improved at offensive set pieces but are conceding too many chances.

Being so straightforward does not necessarily align with Spurs’ style. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski unavailable, there is a considerable creative load on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, targeted by Chelsea last summer, has not performed to expectations since arriving from RB Leipzig. Spurs are one-dimensional in general play. Their forwards remain erratic.

But this is one game where the outcome may justify the method. Spurs fans will not mind if a pragmatic approach breaks a four-game winless streak against Chelsea. A win would boost Frank’s tenure. How he would love to win this contest with Maresca.