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

The feeling was that Maresca’s structured approach and focus on possession made him the best fit for Chelsea’s roster of skilled players. Frank, who had excelled at Brentford, had to bide his time for his next chance. Overlooked by Manchester United after they dismissed Erik ten Hag, his break arrived when Tottenham brought in the Dane after firing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

At present, Frank and Maresca meet, both in major roles. Theirs is not yet a established rivalry, but they had some close 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 engaging games, made more fascinating by the divergent approaches between the coaches. Frank is considered a pragmatist, more inclined to be direct, play on the break, and wait for chances to unveil an variety of clinical set-piece plays, whereas Maresca veers towards ideological rigidity. The Italian hails from the Pep Guardiola coaching tree; he prizes control of the ball.

Chelsea’s average of 59.7% so far this campaign is bettered only by Liverpool in the Premier League. Frank adapts his tactics 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 telling that their most impressive displays have come in games where they have ceded the possession. They were outstanding with a defensive setup in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, executed an exceptional pressing game when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and dominated Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those performances point to Spurs ought to play on the counter when they host Chelsea. Tottenham, after all, have only one victory from their past seven home league games. The numbers are concerning. Spurs’ record of 13 points from their last 18 home matches is the lowest of any team to have been in the top flight during that timeframe.

This is a difficult game to predict. Spurs are five points off the top and unbeaten in the Champions League. Chelsea are world champions and reached the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup this week. Yet, fans of both sides remain doubtful about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have grumbled about a lack of creativity when the pressure is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s lament about their young side’s immaturity, indiscipline, and toils against defensive setups.

The reality is that both managers are performing adequately. Chelsea could fall to 12th if they lose to Spurs, but there is background to their inconsistent 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 overlooked.

Yet, there is room for improvement, especially when it comes to keeping 11 players on the pitch. Liam Delap’s rash dismissal during Wednesday’s Carabao Cup success against Wolves was Chelsea’s sixth red card in nine games, including Maresca’s removal from the technical area during the win over Liverpool.

Maresca was furious with Delap, who is banned for the visit to Spurs. But he is also considering how to make his team more penetrative against defensive teams. The goals have slowed down for João Pedro, and more reliability is required from Chelsea’s young wide players.

Disappointment grew during last weekend’s 2-1 home defeat by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their peak of the campaign, but their xG was 0.97. Sunderland’s adjustment to a five-man defense confused Maresca. Régis Le Bris had studied his opponent. Numbers indicating that it is one win from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its highest this season implies that their core identity is being weaponised 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 highest possession stats last season, emphasizing a vulnerability when Maresca’s drive for control is taken to the limit. The threat is drifting into ineffective control, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s phrase. José Mourinho’s comment about the team with the ball having the worry also comes to mind.

Maresca contests this view, but it is worth recalling that Chelsea had 33.5% possession when they delivered their finest performance under the Italian and routed PSG in the Club World Cup final. Flexibility is a positive attribute. Chelsea have a number of fast attackers and are pulsating when they have space to attack.

Will Frank give them space? Chelsea punished Postecoglou’s gung-ho tactics on their past two trips to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will surely be smarter. Is a shift to a back five possible? Chelsea have conceded from three long throws this season. Spurs could have Kevin Danso chucking balls into the box. They will observe that Chelsea have gotten better at offensive set pieces but are conceding too many chances.

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

But this is one game where the outcome may justify the approach. Spurs fans will not complain if a pragmatic approach halts a four-game losing run against Chelsea. Success would ignite Frank’s reign. How he would relish to win this duel with Maresca.