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At the time Chelsea were seeking for a successor for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, a number of managers were considered. It was an comprehensive process that involved the club engaging with Thomas Frank before they eventually opted for Enzo Maresca.

The belief was that Maresca’s structured approach and priority on possession rendered him the best fit for Chelsea’s squad of skilled players. Frank, who had excelled at Brentford, had to remain patient for his big break. Not chosen by Manchester United after they parted ways with Erik ten Hag, his moment came when Tottenham hired the Danish manager after sacking Ange Postecoglou last summer.

Currently, Frank and Maresca meet, both holding high-profile roles. Theirs is not currently a established rivalry, but they had some tight encounters last season. Frank’s Brentford were unfortunate to suffer a 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge last December and had the superior chances when they tied 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two decent games, made more interesting by the divergent approaches between the coaches. Frank is more of a pragmatist, more likely to be direct, play on the break, and wait for opportunities to unveil an array of effective set-piece routines, whereas Maresca tends towards dogmatism. The Italian is a product of the Pep Guardiola school; he emphasizes dominance of the ball.

Chelsea’s average of 59.7% this season is exceeded only by Liverpool in the Premier League. Frank mixes it up 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 notable that their most impressive showings 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 sit back when they welcome Chelsea. Tottenham, after all, have one win from their past seven home league games. The statistics are awful. Spurs’ record of 13 points from their last 18 home fixtures is the poorest of any team to have been in the top flight throughout that timeframe.

This is a tricky game to predict. Spurs are five points off the summit and undefeated in the Champions League. Chelsea are Club World Cup winners and reached the last eight of the Carabao Cup this week. Nevertheless, fans of both sides remain doubtful about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have complained about a lack of creativity when the pressure is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s lament about their young side’s inexperience, indiscipline, and struggles against defensive setups.

The situation is that both managers are performing adequately. Chelsea could drop to 12th if they are defeated 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 going all the way at the Club World Cup, cannot be overlooked.

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

Maresca was displeased with Delap, who is banned for the fixture to Spurs. But he is also considering how to make his team more incisive against defensive teams. The goals have dried up for João Pedro, and more consistency is needed from Chelsea’s young attacking midfielders.

Irritation 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 adjustment to a five-man defense flummoxed Maresca. Régis Le Bris had prepared well. Numbers showing that it is only one victory from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its maximum this season indicates that their core identity 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, highlighting a flaw when Maresca’s drive for control is taken to the limit. The threat is slipping into ineffective control, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s phrase. José Mourinho’s remark about the team with the ball having the anxiety also applies here.

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 decisively beat PSG in the Club World Cup final. Adaptability is a positive attribute. Chelsea have several fast attackers and are dynamic when they have room to attack.

Will Frank grant them space? Chelsea exploited Postecoglou’s adventurous tactics on their past two visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will undoubtedly be more cautious. Is a change to a back five on the cards? Chelsea have conceded from three long throws this season. Spurs could have Kevin Danso throwing balls into the box. They will observe that Chelsea have gotten better at attacking 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 significant creative responsibility on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, targeted by Chelsea last summer, has not performed to expectations since joining RB Leipzig. Spurs are predictable in open play. Their forwards remain unreliable.

But this is one game where the ends may validate the method. Spurs fans will not object if a defensive approach halts a four-game losing run against Chelsea. A win would energize Frank’s tenure. How he would love to win this duel with Maresca.