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At the time Chelsea were seeking for a replacement for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, multiple managers were in contention. It was an comprehensive process that saw the club holding talks with Thomas Frank before they ultimately opted for Enzo Maresca.

The opinion was that Maresca’s positional game and emphasis on possession made him the best fit for Chelsea’s roster of skilled players. Frank, who had achieved great success at Brentford, had to remain patient for his big break. Overlooked by Manchester United after they dismissed Erik ten Hag, his moment arrived when Tottenham hired the Danish manager after replacing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

Now, Frank and Maresca meet, both holding prestigious roles. Their relationship is not yet a full-blown rivalry, but they had some close encounters last season. Frank’s Brentford were unlucky to suffer a 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge last December and had the superior chances when they drew 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two engaging games, made more interesting by the divergent approaches between the tacticians. Frank is considered a pragmatist, more likely to be straightforward, play on the break, and wait for opportunities to execute an array of effective set-piece plays, whereas Maresca veers towards dogmatism. The Italian is a product of the Pep Guardiola school; he prizes dominance of the ball.

Chelsea’s average of 59.7% this season is topped only by Liverpool in the Premier League. Frank adapts his tactics more. Spurs are not naturally a defensively-minded side – they are seventh in the possession standings, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is significant that their strongest displays have come in games where they have relinquished the possession. They were superb with a back five in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, implemented an exceptional counterpress when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and dominated Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those performances indicate Spurs ought to sit back when they host Chelsea. Tottenham, after all, have one win from their past seven home league games. The numbers are concerning. Spurs’ return of 13 points from their last 18 home matches is the worst of any team to have been in the top flight during that period.

This is a hard game to predict. 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. Nevertheless, fans of both sides remain unconvinced 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 inexperience, lack of discipline, and toils against low blocks.

The reality is that both managers are performing adequately. Chelsea could slip to 12th if they lose to Spurs, but there is mitigating circumstances to their inconsistent results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have taken a toll. A disrupted pre-season, due to the club reaching the final at the Club World Cup, cannot be dismissed.

Yet, there is scope for development, especially when it comes to maintaining 11 players on the pitch. Liam Delap’s unnecessary red card during Wednesday’s Carabao Cup win against Wolves was Chelsea’s sixth such red card in nine games, including Maresca’s dismissal from the touchline 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 steadiness is necessary from Chelsea’s young attacking midfielders.

Irritation mounted during last weekend’s 2-1 home defeat by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their maximum of the campaign, but their xG was 0.97. Sunderland’s change to a five-man defense confused Maresca. Régis Le Bris had done his homework. Numbers showing that it is only one victory from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its peak this season suggests that their key approach is being exploited 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, underscoring a weakness when Maresca’s drive for control is taken to the limit. The risk is falling into unproductive possession, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s phrase. José Mourinho’s comment about the team with the ball having the anxiety also comes to mind.

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

Will Frank grant them opportunity? Chelsea exploited Postecoglou’s attacking tactics on their past two trips to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will undoubtedly be more cautious. Is a change to a five-man defense possible? 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 gotten better at attacking set pieces but are allowing too many chances.

Being so straightforward does not necessarily fit with Spurs’ traditions. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski absent, there is a considerable creative responsibility on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, pursued by Chelsea last summer, has not performed to expectations since joining RB Leipzig. Spurs are one-dimensional in from open situations. Their forwards remain erratic.

But this is one game where the ends may validate the approach. Spurs fans will not object if a cautious approach ends a four-game sequence of defeats against Chelsea. Victory would energize Frank’s tenure. How he would cherish to win this battle with Maresca.