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

The belief was that Maresca’s positional game and emphasis on possession made him the ideal candidate for Chelsea’s squad of skilled players. Frank, who had performed brilliantly at Brentford, had to bide his time for his big break. Overlooked by Manchester United after they let go of Erik ten Hag, his moment came when Tottenham brought in the Danish manager after sacking Ange Postecoglou last summer.

At present, Frank and Maresca face each other, both holding prestigious roles. Theirs is not yet a established rivalry, but they had some hard-fought encounters last season. Frank’s Brentford were unlucky to endure a 2-1 loss at Stamford Bridge last December and had the more clear-cut chances when they drew 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two decent games, made more interesting by the divergent approaches between the tacticians. Frank is considered a adaptable coach, more willing to be straightforward, play on the break, and wait for opportunities to execute an array of clinical set-piece routines, whereas Maresca veers towards dogmatism. The Italian comes from the Pep Guardiola coaching tree; he values control of the ball.

Chelsea’s possession average of 59.7% so far this campaign is exceeded only by Liverpool in the Premier League. Frank varies his approach more. Spurs are not instinctively a defensively-minded side – they are seventh in the possession rankings, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is significant that their most impressive performances have come in games where they have relinquished the possession. They were outstanding with a five-man defense in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, implemented an outstanding pressing game when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and overwhelmed Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those experiences suggest Spurs should adopt a defensive approach when they welcome Chelsea. Tottenham, after all, have only one victory from their past seven home league games. The numbers are disappointing. Spurs’ return of 13 points from their past 18 home fixtures is the lowest of any team to have been in the top flight throughout that timeframe.

This is a hard game to read. Spurs are five points off first place and undefeated in the Champions League. Chelsea are world champions 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 absence of creativity when the pressure is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s moan about their young side’s inexperience, indiscipline, and struggles against defensive setups.

The truth is that both managers are doing fine. 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 been costly. A interrupted pre-season, resulting from the club going all the way at the Club World Cup, cannot be ignored.

Still, there is potential for development, especially when it comes to keeping 11 players on the pitch. Liam Delap’s rash red card during Wednesday’s Carabao Cup victory against Wolves was Chelsea’s sixth red card in nine games, including Maresca’s banishment from the dugout during the win over Liverpool.

Maresca was displeased with Delap, who is suspended for the visit to Spurs. But he is also thinking about how to make his team more effective against defensive teams. The goals have dried up for João Pedro, and more steadiness is needed from Chelsea’s young wingers.

Frustration mounted during last weekend’s 2-1 home loss by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their highest of the campaign, but their expected goals was 0.97. Sunderland’s switch to a five-man defense confused Maresca. Régis Le Bris had prepared well. Statistics revealing that it is only one victory from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its highest this season indicates that their key approach is being exploited and turned on them.

This is not a new issue. It was zero victories from the four league games in which Chelsea had their highest possession stats last season, emphasizing a flaw when Maresca’s pursuit for control is taken to the limit. The danger is slipping into unproductive possession, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s term. José Mourinho’s remark about the team with the ball having the anxiety also applies here.

Maresca differs in opinion, but it is worth remembering that Chelsea had 33.5% possession when they delivered their most impressive performance under the Italian and routed PSG in the Club World Cup final. Flexibility is a advantage. Chelsea have plenty of fast attackers and are dynamic when they have space to attack.

Will Frank grant them freedom? Chelsea punished Postecoglou’s gung-ho tactics on their last two trips to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will certainly be more cautious. Is a change to a five-man defense on the cards? Chelsea have conceded from three long throws this season. Spurs could have Kevin Danso launching balls into the box. They will note that Chelsea have improved at attacking set pieces but are conceding too many chances.

Being so long-ball oriented does not necessarily match Spurs’ traditions. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski absent, there is a significant creative burden on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, courted by Chelsea last summer, has not made an impact since joining RB Leipzig. Spurs are lacking variety in general play. Their forwards remain inconsistent.

But this is one game where the outcome may validate the method. Spurs fans will not complain if a pragmatic approach ends a four-game winless streak against Chelsea. A win would energize Frank’s time in charge. How he would love to win this battle with Maresca.