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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 saw the club engaging with Thomas Frank before they finally selected Enzo Maresca.

The opinion was that Maresca’s structured approach and focus on possession rendered him the best fit for Chelsea’s squad of talented individuals. Frank, who had excelled at Brentford, had to wait for his next opportunity. Passed over by Manchester United after they dismissed Erik ten Hag, his opportunity came when Tottenham hired the Danish manager after firing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

Currently, Frank and Maresca meet, both holding high-profile roles. Their relationship is not yet a full-fledged rivalry, but they had some close encounters 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 tied 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two decent games, made more fascinating by the tactical differences between the tacticians. Frank is considered a pragmatist, more inclined to be direct, play on the counter-attack, and wait for chances to deploy an variety of effective set-piece plays, whereas Maresca leans towards ideological rigidity. The Italian is a product of the Pep Guardiola coaching tree; he values dominance of the ball.

Chelsea’s possession average of 59.7% this season is exceeded only by Liverpool in the Premier League. Frank adapts his tactics more. Spurs are not inherently a defensively-minded side – they are ranked seventh in the possession rankings, 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 superb with a five-man defense in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, executed an outstanding pressing game when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and destroyed Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

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

This is a hard game to read. Spurs are five points off the top and undefeated in the Champions League. Chelsea are Club World Cup winners and reached the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup this week. Yet, fans of both sides remain skeptical about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have grumbled about a lack of creativity when the pressure is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s moan about their young side’s inexperience, lack of discipline, and toils against low blocks.

The reality is that both managers are managing reasonably well. Chelsea could slip to 12th if they are defeated to Spurs, but there is background to their inconsistent results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have been costly. A interrupted pre-season, resulting from the club reaching the final at the Club World Cup, cannot be ignored.

However, there is room for improvement, especially when it comes to maintaining 11 players on the pitch. Liam Delap’s ludicrous dismissal during Wednesday’s Carabao Cup victory against Wolves was Chelsea’s sixth 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 fixture to Spurs. But he is also pondering how to make his team more effective against defensive teams. The goals have dried up for João Pedro, and more steadiness is necessary from Chelsea’s young attacking midfielders.

Disappointment mounted during last weekend’s 2-1 home defeat 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 flummoxed Maresca. Régis Le Bris had done his homework. Data showing that it is only one victory from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its maximum this season implies 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 weakness when Maresca’s pursuit for control is taken to the limit. The threat is drifting into sterile domination, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s expression. José Mourinho’s line about the team with the ball having the fear also is relevant.

Maresca disagrees, but it is worth noting that Chelsea had 33.5% possession when they delivered their finest performance under the Italian and routed PSG in the Club World Cup final. Variety is a positive attribute. Chelsea have a number of fast attackers and are dynamic when they have space to attack.

Will Frank allow them space? Chelsea exploited Postecoglou’s adventurous tactics on their last two visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will surely be more strategic. Is a switch to a five-man defense on the cards? 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 long-ball oriented does not necessarily fit with Spurs’ history. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski missing, there is a heavy creative burden on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, courted by Chelsea last summer, has not made an impact since joining RB Leipzig. Spurs are one-dimensional in general play. Their forwards remain inconsistent.

But this is one game where the ends may validate the means. Spurs fans will not object if a defensive approach breaks a four-game sequence of defeats against Chelsea. Success would boost Frank’s time in charge. How he would relish to win this battle with Maresca.