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At the time Chelsea were searching for a successor for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, several managers were evaluated. 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 focus on possession rendered him 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. Not chosen by Manchester United after they dismissed Erik ten Hag, his break came when Tottenham hired the Danish manager after replacing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

Currently, Frank and Maresca confront one another, both holding prestigious roles. Theirs is not currently a full-fledged rivalry, but they experienced some hard-fought duels last season. Frank’s Brentford were unlucky to endure a 2-1 loss at Stamford Bridge last December and created the superior chances when they drew 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two competitive games, made more intriguing by the tactical differences between the coaches. Frank is considered a practical manager, more inclined to be straightforward, play on the break, and wait for opportunities to unveil an array of effective set-piece plays, whereas Maresca veers towards ideological rigidity. The Italian hails from the Pep Guardiola school; 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 mixes it up more. Spurs are not instinctively a defensive side – they are ranked seventh in the possession table, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is notable that their best displays have come in games where they have relinquished the control. They were excellent with a five-man defense in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, implemented an impressive pressing game when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and dominated Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those performances point to Spurs should play on the counter when they host Chelsea. Tottenham, it must be noted, have only one victory from their last seven home league games. The statistics are concerning. Spurs’ return of 13 points from their past 18 home fixtures is the poorest of any team to have been in the top flight throughout that period.

This is a hard game to call. Spurs are five points off the summit and unbeaten in the Champions League. Chelsea are Club World Cup winners and advanced to the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup this week. Yet, fans of both sides remain skeptical about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have complained about a shortage of creativity when the pressure is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s lament about their young side’s immaturity, lack of discipline, and toils against defensive setups.

The situation is that both managers are doing fine. Chelsea could fall to 12th if they are defeated to Spurs, but there is background to their inconsistent results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have had an impact. A disrupted pre-season, caused by the club going all the way at the Club World Cup, cannot be ignored.

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

Maresca was angry with Delap, who is suspended for the visit to Spurs. But he is also considering how to make his team more penetrative against low blocks. The goals have decreased for João Pedro, and more steadiness is needed from Chelsea’s young wide players.

Disappointment mounted during last weekend’s 2-1 home loss by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their maximum of the season, but their expected goals was 0.97. Sunderland’s switch to a back five baffled Maresca. Régis Le Bris had prepared well. Statistics indicating that it is one win from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its peak this season implies that their fundamental philosophy is being used against them and used to their disadvantage.

This is not a recent issue. It was no wins from the four league games in which Chelsea had their most possession last season, underscoring a flaw when Maresca’s drive for control is taken to extremes. The threat is drifting into sterile domination, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s phrase. José Mourinho’s remark about the team with the ball having the worry also is relevant.

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

Will Frank grant them freedom? Chelsea took advantage of Postecoglou’s attacking tactics on their last two trips to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will undoubtedly be smarter. 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 chucking balls into the box. They will note that Chelsea have improved at attacking set pieces but are allowing too many chances.

Being so direct does not necessarily fit with Spurs’ history. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski unavailable, there is a significant creative burden on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, courted by Chelsea last summer, has not made an impact since arriving from RB Leipzig. Spurs are predictable in from open situations. Their forwards remain erratic.

But this is one game where the ends may validate the method. Spurs fans will not complain if a cautious approach ends a four-game sequence of defeats against Chelsea. Success would boost Frank’s reign. How he would relish to win this battle with Maresca.