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At the time Chelsea were looking for a successor for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, several managers were considered. It was an comprehensive process that involved the club holding talks with Thomas Frank before they finally chose Enzo Maresca.

The belief was that Maresca’s positional game and focus on possession positioned him as the ideal candidate for Chelsea’s roster of talented individuals. Frank, who had performed brilliantly at Brentford, had to bide his time for his next chance. Passed over by Manchester United after they parted ways with Erik ten Hag, his opportunity came when Tottenham hired the Danish manager after firing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

Currently, Frank and Maresca confront one another, both in high-profile roles. Theirs is not yet a full-fledged rivalry, but they had some hard-fought duels last season. Frank’s Brentford were unlucky 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 interesting by the contrasting styles between the managers. Frank is considered a practical manager, more inclined to be straightforward, play on the counter-attack, and wait for opportunities to unveil an array of effective set-piece routines, whereas Maresca leans towards ideological rigidity. The Italian hails from the Pep Guardiola philosophy; he prizes dominance of the ball.

Chelsea’s average of 59.7% this season is topped only by Liverpool in the Premier League. Frank mixes it up more. Spurs are not instinctively a defensively-minded side – they are ranked seventh in the possession standings, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is significant that their best displays have come in games where they have ceded the possession. They were excellent with a five-man defense in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, executed an outstanding pressing game when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and overwhelmed Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those performances indicate Spurs should adopt a defensive approach when they face Chelsea. Tottenham, it must be noted, have only one victory from their last seven home league games. The figures are concerning. Spurs’ return of 13 points from their last 18 home fixtures is the lowest of any team to have been in the top flight during that period.

This is a difficult game to read. Spurs are five points off the top and unbeaten in the Champions League. Chelsea are Club World Cup winners and reached the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup this week. However, fans of both sides remain doubtful about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have expressed frustration about a lack of creativity when the responsibility is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s lament about their young side’s immaturity, lack of discipline, and struggles against defensive setups.

The reality is that both managers are managing reasonably well. Chelsea could fall to 12th if they are defeated to Spurs, but there is background to their indifferent results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have had an impact. A interrupted pre-season, due to the club reaching the final at the Club World Cup, cannot be dismissed.

Still, there is scope for progress, especially when it comes to maintaining 11 players on the pitch. Liam Delap’s ludicrous sending off during Wednesday’s Carabao Cup victory against Wolves was Chelsea’s sixth red card in nine games, including Maresca’s dismissal from the touchline during the win over Liverpool.

Maresca was angry with Delap, who is suspended for the fixture to Spurs. But he is also thinking about how to make his team more incisive against low blocks. The goals have slowed down for João Pedro, and more reliability is necessary from Chelsea’s young attacking midfielders.

Disappointment mounted during last weekend’s 2-1 home loss by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their highest of the season, but their xG was 0.97. Sunderland’s switch to a five-man defense confused Maresca. Régis Le Bris had prepared well. Data revealing that it is one win from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its peak this season suggests that their fundamental philosophy is being weaponised and used to their disadvantage.

This is not a new issue. It was no wins from the four league games in which Chelsea had their highest possession stats last season, emphasizing a weakness when Maresca’s quest for control is taken to the limit. The threat is slipping into ineffective control, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s phrase. José Mourinho’s line about the team with the ball having the worry also is relevant.

Maresca differs in opinion, but it is worth remembering that Chelsea had 33.5% possession when they put in their best performance under the Italian and routed PSG in the Club World Cup final. Adaptability is a advantage. Chelsea have several fast attackers and are pulsating when they have room to attack.

Will Frank give them freedom? Chelsea took advantage of Postecoglou’s attacking tactics on their last two trips to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will certainly be smarter. Is a switch to a back five on the cards? Chelsea have allowed goals from three long throws this season. Spurs could have Kevin Danso launching balls into the box. They will take into account that Chelsea have improved at attacking set pieces but are conceding too many chances.

Being so long-ball oriented does not necessarily match Spurs’ history. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski unavailable, there is a heavy creative responsibility on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, targeted by Chelsea last summer, has not done enough since arriving from RB Leipzig. Spurs are lacking variety in general play. Their forwards remain unreliable.

But this is one game where the ends may excuse the means. Spurs fans will not mind if a pragmatic approach halts a four-game winless streak against Chelsea. Victory would energize Frank’s time in charge. How he would relish to win this contest with Maresca.