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When Chelsea were seeking for a successor for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, multiple managers were evaluated. This was an extensive process that involved the club holding talks with Thomas Frank before they ultimately selected Enzo Maresca.

The opinion was that Maresca’s structured approach and focus on possession positioned him as the ideal candidate for Chelsea’s roster of technicians. Frank, who had performed brilliantly at Brentford, had to wait for his next opportunity. Passed over by Manchester United after they parted ways with Erik ten Hag, his moment arrived when Tottenham hired the Dane after firing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

Now, Frank and Maresca face each other, both in major roles. Theirs is not yet a full-blown rivalry, but they shared some close duels last season. Frank’s Brentford were unlucky to suffer a 2-1 loss 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 intriguing by the divergent approaches between the tacticians. Frank is considered a pragmatist, more inclined to be direct, play on the break, and wait for chances to deploy an array of deadly set-piece strategies, whereas Maresca leans towards ideological rigidity. The Italian comes from the Pep Guardiola school; he emphasizes control of the ball.

Chelsea’s possession 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 naturally a defensive side – they are seventh in the possession standings, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is notable that their strongest displays have come in games where they have surrendered the initiative. They were outstanding with a back five in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, executed an exceptional pressing game when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and overwhelmed Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those results suggest Spurs might play on the counter when they face Chelsea. Tottenham, after all, have only one victory from their last seven home league games. The figures are awful. Spurs’ return of 13 points from their past 18 home fixtures is the worst of any team to have been in the top flight throughout that period.

This is a tricky game to call. Spurs are five points off first place and unbeaten in the Champions League. Chelsea are Club World Cup winners and reached 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 absence of creativity when the pressure is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s complain about their young side’s inexperience, indiscipline, and struggles against low blocks.

The reality is that both managers are doing fine. Chelsea could slip to 12th if they lose to Spurs, but there is mitigating circumstances to their mixed results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have had an impact. A interrupted pre-season, due to the club reaching the final at the Club World Cup, cannot be overlooked.

However, there is scope for progress, especially when it comes to keeping 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 dugout during the win over Liverpool.

Maresca was displeased with Delap, who is suspended for the visit to Spurs. But he is also pondering how to make his team more penetrative against low blocks. The goals have decreased for João Pedro, and more steadiness is required from Chelsea’s young attacking midfielders.

Disappointment built during last weekend’s 2-1 home loss by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their highest of the campaign, but their expected goals was 0.97. Sunderland’s switch to a back five flummoxed Maresca. Régis Le Bris had prepared well. Data 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 core identity is being used against them 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, highlighting a flaw when Maresca’s drive for control is taken to extremes. The threat is drifting into unproductive possession, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s term. José Mourinho’s line about the team with the ball having the anxiety also applies here.

Maresca disagrees, but it is worth recalling that Chelsea had 33.5% possession when they put in their finest performance under the Italian and decisively beat PSG in the Club World Cup final. Variety is a advantage. Chelsea have plenty of fast attackers and are dynamic when they have space to attack.

Will Frank grant them space? Chelsea exploited Postecoglou’s gung-ho tactics on their past two visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will undoubtedly be smarter. Is a shift 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 observe that Chelsea have gotten better at offensive set pieces but are conceding too many chances.

Being so straightforward does not necessarily fit 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 made an impact since joining RB Leipzig. Spurs are lacking variety in general play. Their forwards remain unreliable.

But this is one game where the result may excuse the method. Spurs fans will not complain if a pragmatic approach ends a four-game winless streak against Chelsea. A win would energize Frank’s tenure. How he would love to win this contest with Maresca.