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At the time Chelsea were seeking for a successor for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, multiple managers were evaluated. It was an comprehensive process that involved the club engaging with Thomas Frank before they ultimately opted for Enzo Maresca.

The belief was that Maresca’s structured approach and emphasis on possession rendered him the best fit for Chelsea’s roster of skilled players. Frank, who had achieved great success at Brentford, had to remain patient for his next opportunity. Overlooked by Manchester United after they dismissed Erik ten Hag, his moment came when Tottenham appointed the Dane after replacing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

Currently, Frank and Maresca face each other, both holding high-profile roles. Theirs is not yet a full-blown rivalry, but they shared some close encounters last season. Frank’s Brentford were unfortunate to suffer a 2-1 defeat 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 interesting by the divergent approaches between the tacticians. Frank is considered a pragmatist, more likely to be straightforward, play on the counter-attack, and wait for opportunities to unveil an array of deadly set-piece routines, whereas Maresca leans towards a strict philosophy. The Italian comes from the Pep Guardiola philosophy; he emphasizes dominance of the ball.

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

Those results point to Spurs might sit back when they host Chelsea. Tottenham, it must be noted, have only one victory from their past seven home league games. The numbers are awful. Spurs’ record of 13 points from their past 18 home matches is the lowest of any team to have been in the top flight throughout that timeframe.

This is a difficult game to read. Spurs are five points off first place and undefeated in the Champions League. Chelsea are world champions and reached the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup this week. However, fans of both sides remain unconvinced about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have complained about a absence of creativity when the pressure is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s lament about their young side’s immaturity, indiscipline, and toils against defensive setups.

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

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

Maresca was displeased with Delap, who is banned for the fixture to Spurs. But he is also thinking about how to make his team more penetrative against low blocks. The goals have dried up for João Pedro, and more consistency is necessary from Chelsea’s young wingers.

Disappointment mounted during last weekend’s 2-1 home loss by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their peak of the season, but their expected goals was 0.97. Sunderland’s adjustment to a back five flummoxed Maresca. Régis Le Bris had done his homework. Numbers indicating that it is only one victory from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its maximum this season indicates that their key approach is being used against them and used to their disadvantage.

This is not a recent issue. It was zero victories from the four league games in which Chelsea had their highest possession stats last season, underscoring a vulnerability when Maresca’s drive for control is taken to the limit. The risk is drifting into unproductive possession, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s phrase. 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 delivered their best performance under the Italian and thrashed PSG in the Club World Cup final. Adaptability is a positive attribute. Chelsea have a number of fast attackers and are exciting when they have room to attack.

Will Frank give them freedom? Chelsea punished Postecoglou’s adventurous tactics on their past two visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will undoubtedly be more strategic. Is a switch to a five-man defense possible? 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 offensive set pieces but are allowing too many chances.

Being so long-ball oriented does not necessarily align with Spurs’ style. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski missing, there is a heavy creative responsibility on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, pursued by Chelsea last summer, has not performed to expectations since arriving from RB Leipzig. Spurs are predictable in open play. Their forwards remain inconsistent.

But this is one game where the result may validate the method. Spurs fans will not object if a pragmatic approach ends a four-game losing run against Chelsea. Victory would energize Frank’s tenure. How he would relish to win this contest with Maresca.