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At the time Chelsea were seeking for a replacement for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, a number of managers were evaluated. It was an thorough process that saw the club engaging with Thomas Frank before they finally opted for Enzo Maresca.

The feeling was that Maresca’s structured approach and priority on possession rendered him the most suitable for Chelsea’s squad of talented individuals. Frank, who had achieved great success at Brentford, had to bide his time for his big break. Overlooked by Manchester United after they parted ways with Erik ten Hag, his opportunity came when Tottenham hired the Danish manager after firing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

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

Those were two competitive games, made more interesting by the tactical differences between the tacticians. Frank is considered a pragmatist, more likely to be direct, play on the break, and wait for chances to unveil an range of clinical set-piece routines, whereas Maresca tends towards dogmatism. The Italian comes from the Pep Guardiola coaching tree; he values control of the ball.

Chelsea’s average of 59.7% so far this campaign is topped only by Liverpool in the Premier League. Frank mixes it up 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 significant that their best performances have come in games where they have relinquished the control. They were superb 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 destroyed Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those experiences point to Spurs ought to play on the counter when they face Chelsea. Tottenham, it must be noted, have only one victory from their past seven home league games. The statistics are concerning. Spurs’ record of 13 points from their last 18 home fixtures is the lowest of any team to have been in the top flight during that timeframe.

This is a hard game to predict. Spurs are five points off first place and undefeated in the Champions League. Chelsea are world champions and reached the last eight of the Carabao Cup this week. Nevertheless, fans of both sides remain unconvinced about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have expressed frustration about a shortage of creativity when the onus is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s moan about their young side’s inexperience, lack of discipline, and struggles against defensive setups.

The truth is that both managers are performing adequately. Chelsea could fall to 12th if they are defeated to Spurs, but there is context to their mixed results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have had an impact. A disrupted pre-season, caused by the club competing deep at the Club World Cup, cannot be dismissed.

However, there is potential for improvement, especially when it comes to maintaining 11 players on the pitch. Liam Delap’s unnecessary sending off 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 furious with Delap, who is banned for the visit to Spurs. But he is also pondering how to make his team more incisive against low blocks. The goals have slowed down for João Pedro, and more consistency is necessary from Chelsea’s young wide players.

Disappointment built during last weekend’s 2-1 home defeat by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their peak of the campaign, but their expected goals was 0.97. Sunderland’s switch to a back five flummoxed Maresca. Régis Le Bris had studied his opponent. Data indicating that it is one win from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its maximum this season indicates that their fundamental philosophy 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 vulnerability when Maresca’s drive for control is taken to the limit. The danger is falling into ineffective control, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s expression. José Mourinho’s line about the team with the ball having the worry also applies here.

Maresca contests this view, but it is worth recalling that Chelsea had 33.5% possession when they put in their most impressive performance under the Italian and decisively beat PSG in the Club World Cup final. Adaptability is a advantage. 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 last two trips to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will undoubtedly be smarter. Is a change to a back five likely? 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 offensive set pieces but are conceding too many chances.

Being so direct 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, targeted by Chelsea last summer, has not performed to expectations since arriving from RB Leipzig. Spurs are one-dimensional in from open situations. Their forwards remain erratic.

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