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

The opinion was that Maresca’s positional game and priority on possession rendered him the ideal candidate for Chelsea’s squad of technicians. Frank, who had achieved great success at Brentford, had to remain patient for his next opportunity. Overlooked by Manchester United after they let go of Erik ten Hag, his moment arrived when Tottenham hired the Dane after sacking Ange Postecoglou last summer.

Currently, Frank and Maresca confront one another, both occupying high-profile roles. Their relationship is not currently a established rivalry, but they shared some hard-fought matches last season. Frank’s Brentford were unlucky to endure a 2-1 loss at Stamford Bridge last December and had the superior chances when they tied 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two competitive games, made more intriguing by the tactical differences between the coaches. Frank is more of a practical manager, more likely to be direct, play on the break, and wait for opportunities to execute an array of effective set-piece strategies, whereas Maresca leans towards dogmatism. The Italian hails from the Pep Guardiola school; 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 varies his approach more. Spurs are not instinctively a defensively-minded side – they are ranked seventh in the possession rankings, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is significant that their most impressive performances have come in games where they have ceded the control. They were outstanding with a back five in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, implemented an outstanding counterpress when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and overwhelmed Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those performances point to Spurs should sit back when they face Chelsea. Tottenham, it must be noted, have one win from their past seven home league games. The statistics are disappointing. Spurs’ return of 13 points from their past 18 home outings is the worst 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 first place and undefeated in the Champions League. Chelsea are world champions and advanced to the last eight of the Carabao Cup this week. However, fans of both sides remain skeptical 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 immaturity, lack of discipline, and toils against defensive setups.

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

Yet, there is scope for progress, especially when it comes to maintaining 11 players on the pitch. Liam Delap’s ludicrous dismissal during Wednesday’s Carabao Cup success against Wolves was Chelsea’s sixth red card in nine games, including Maresca’s banishment from the touchline during the win over Liverpool.

Maresca was furious with Delap, who is suspended for the fixture to Spurs. But he is also pondering how to make his team more incisive against low blocks. The goals have dried up for João Pedro, and more steadiness is necessary from Chelsea’s young wide players.

Frustration mounted during last weekend’s 2-1 home loss 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 baffled Maresca. Régis Le Bris had studied his opponent. Data showing 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 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, emphasizing a vulnerability when Maresca’s quest for control is taken to the limit. The danger is falling into unproductive possession, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s expression. José Mourinho’s remark about the team with the ball having the fear also applies here.

Maresca disagrees, but it is worth noting that Chelsea had 33.5% possession when they put in their finest 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 exciting when they have space to attack.

Will Frank give them space? Chelsea exploited Postecoglou’s gung-ho tactics on their last two trips to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will certainly be more strategic. Is a change to a five-man defense likely? Chelsea have allowed goals 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 direct does not necessarily align with Spurs’ history. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski missing, there is a significant creative load on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, pursued by Chelsea last summer, has not done enough since arriving from RB Leipzig. Spurs are predictable in open play. Their forwards remain unreliable.

But this is one game where the outcome may justify the method. Spurs fans will not complain if a pragmatic approach breaks a four-game sequence of defeats against Chelsea. Victory would energize Frank’s tenure. How he would cherish to win this contest with Maresca.