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When Chelsea were searching for a successor for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, multiple managers were in contention. It was an thorough process that saw the club holding talks with Thomas Frank before they finally opted for Enzo Maresca.

The belief was that Maresca’s tactical system and priority on possession rendered him the most suitable for Chelsea’s team of technicians. Frank, who had achieved great success at Brentford, had to remain patient for his next opportunity. Passed over by Manchester United after they parted ways with Erik ten Hag, his opportunity arrived when Tottenham appointed the Danish manager after replacing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

Currently, Frank and Maresca meet, both holding prestigious roles. Theirs is not yet a established rivalry, but they shared some close matches last season. Frank’s Brentford were unfortunate to suffer a 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge last December and had the better chances when they drew 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two engaging games, made more intriguing by the contrasting styles between the managers. Frank is considered 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 tends towards a strict philosophy. The Italian is a product of 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 varies his approach more. Spurs are not naturally a defensive side – they are ranked seventh in the possession table, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is telling that their strongest 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 outstanding counterpress when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and destroyed Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those performances suggest Spurs ought to play on the counter when they welcome Chelsea. Tottenham, it must be noted, have only one victory from their last seven home league games. The statistics are awful. Spurs’ return of 13 points from their last 18 home matches is the poorest of any team to have been in the top flight during that timeframe.

This is a difficult game to call. Spurs are five points off first place and undefeated in the Champions League. Chelsea are Club World Cup winners and advanced to the last eight of the Carabao Cup this week. Nevertheless, fans of both sides remain skeptical about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have expressed frustration about a shortage of creativity when the pressure is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s lament about their young side’s immaturity, indiscipline, and struggles against low blocks.

The truth is that both managers are doing fine. Chelsea could drop to 12th if they lose to Spurs, but there is context to their inconsistent results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have taken a toll. A disrupted pre-season, due to the club going all the way at the Club World Cup, cannot be dismissed.

Yet, there is room for improvement, especially when it comes to keeping 11 players on the pitch. Liam Delap’s unnecessary dismissal during Wednesday’s Carabao Cup win 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 suspended for the trip to Spurs. But he is also pondering how to make his team more penetrative against defensive teams. The goals have decreased for João Pedro, and more reliability is needed from Chelsea’s young wingers.

Frustration built during last weekend’s 2-1 home loss by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their highest of the season, but their xG was 0.97. Sunderland’s adjustment to a five-man defense confused Maresca. Régis Le Bris had done his homework. Statistics indicating that it is one win from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its maximum this season suggests that their key approach is being exploited and used to their disadvantage.

This is not a new issue. It was zero victories from the four league games in which Chelsea had their most possession last season, emphasizing a weakness when Maresca’s quest for control is taken to extremes. The danger is drifting into sterile domination, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s expression. José Mourinho’s remark about the team with the ball having the fear also is relevant.

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

Will Frank allow them freedom? Chelsea punished Postecoglou’s adventurous tactics on their last two visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will undoubtedly be smarter. Is a switch to a five-man defense likely? Chelsea have conceded from three long throws this season. Spurs could have Kevin Danso throwing balls into the box. They will note that Chelsea have improved at attacking set pieces but are conceding too many chances.

Being so direct does not necessarily align with Spurs’ traditions. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski unavailable, there is a heavy creative load on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, courted by Chelsea last summer, has not performed to expectations since joining RB Leipzig. Spurs are lacking variety in general play. Their forwards remain erratic.

But this is one game where the ends may excuse the approach. Spurs fans will not complain if a pragmatic approach halts a four-game losing run against Chelsea. Victory would energize Frank’s reign. How he would cherish to win this battle with Maresca.