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At the time Chelsea were looking for a successor for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, multiple managers were evaluated. It was an extensive process that involved the club holding talks with Thomas Frank before they eventually chose Enzo Maresca.

The opinion was that Maresca’s structured approach and focus on possession positioned him as the best fit for Chelsea’s team of talented individuals. Frank, who had excelled at Brentford, had to wait for his big break. Not chosen by Manchester United after they dismissed Erik ten Hag, his break arrived when Tottenham brought in the Danish manager after firing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

Currently, Frank and Maresca face each other, both in major roles. Theirs is not yet a established rivalry, but they had some tight matches last season. Frank’s Brentford were unfortunate to suffer a 2-1 loss at Stamford Bridge last December and created the superior chances when they tied 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two decent games, made more fascinating by the tactical differences between the managers. Frank is considered a adaptable coach, more inclined to be straightforward, play on the break, and wait for chances to deploy an variety of effective set-piece strategies, whereas Maresca leans towards dogmatism. The Italian hails from the Pep Guardiola school; he emphasizes control of the ball.

Chelsea’s possession average of 59.7% this season is topped only by Liverpool in the Premier League. Frank mixes it up more. Spurs are not inherently a defensively-minded side – they are ranked seventh in the possession table, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is notable that their best showings have come in games where they have relinquished the possession. They were excellent with a defensive setup in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, implemented an outstanding pressing game when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and destroyed Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those performances indicate Spurs ought to play on the counter when they host Chelsea. Tottenham, after all, have only one victory from their last seven home league games. The statistics are concerning. Spurs’ return of 13 points from their last 18 home outings is the worst of any team to have been in the top flight during that timeframe.

This is a tricky game to call. Spurs are five points off the top and unbeaten in the Champions League. Chelsea are Club World Cup winners and reached the last eight of the Carabao Cup this week. However, fans of both sides remain skeptical about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have complained about a shortage of creativity when the responsibility is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s moan about their young side’s immaturity, indiscipline, and difficulties against defensive setups.

The reality is that both managers are performing adequately. Chelsea could fall to 12th if they are defeated to Spurs, but there is context to their inconsistent results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have been costly. A disrupted pre-season, caused by the club going all the way at the Club World Cup, cannot be ignored.

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

Maresca was angry 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 decreased for João Pedro, and more reliability is necessary from Chelsea’s young attacking midfielders.

Disappointment built during last weekend’s 2-1 home defeat 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 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 highest 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, underscoring a vulnerability when Maresca’s quest for control is taken to the limit. The threat is slipping into sterile domination, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s term. José Mourinho’s comment about the team with the ball having the anxiety also is relevant.

Maresca differs in opinion, but it is worth noting that Chelsea had 33.5% possession when they produced their best performance under the Italian and thrashed PSG in the Club World Cup final. Variety is a advantage. Chelsea have several fast attackers and are dynamic when they have space to attack.

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

Being so long-ball oriented does not necessarily match Spurs’ history. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski missing, there is a considerable creative load on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, courted by Chelsea last summer, has not performed to expectations since joining RB Leipzig. Spurs are predictable in open play. Their forwards remain inconsistent.

But this is one game where the outcome may justify the method. Spurs fans will not object if a defensive approach ends a four-game losing run against Chelsea. Success would ignite Frank’s tenure. How he would relish to win this duel with Maresca.