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At the time Chelsea were seeking for a replacement for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, multiple managers were in contention. This was an extensive process that saw the club engaging with Thomas Frank before they ultimately opted for Enzo Maresca.

The feeling was that Maresca’s positional game and priority on possession made him the ideal candidate for Chelsea’s roster of talented individuals. Frank, who had achieved great success at Brentford, had to remain patient for his big break. Passed over by Manchester United after they dismissed Erik ten Hag, his break arrived when Tottenham hired the Dane after firing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

At present, Frank and Maresca meet, both in high-profile roles. Theirs is not yet a full-fledged rivalry, but they had some hard-fought matches last season. Frank’s Brentford were unlucky to suffer a 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge last December and created the more clear-cut chances when they tied 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two decent games, made more fascinating by the contrasting styles between the coaches. Frank is considered a pragmatist, more willing to be direct, play on the counter-attack, and wait for chances to execute an range of deadly set-piece strategies, whereas Maresca leans towards dogmatism. The Italian hails from the Pep Guardiola school; he emphasizes dominance of the ball.

Chelsea’s possession average of 59.7% so far this campaign is exceeded only by Liverpool in the Premier League. Frank varies his approach more. Spurs are not inherently a defensively-minded side – they are ranked seventh in the possession standings, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is notable that their most impressive displays have come in games where they have ceded the initiative. They were superb with a five-man defense in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, implemented an impressive pressing game when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and dominated Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those results point to Spurs ought to sit back when they face Chelsea. Tottenham, after all, have one win from their past seven home league games. The statistics 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 during that period.

This is a tricky game to call. Spurs are five points off the summit and undefeated in the Champions League. Chelsea are Club World Cup winners and advanced to the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup this week. Yet, 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 lament about their young side’s immaturity, lack of discipline, and struggles against defensive setups.

The situation is that both managers are managing reasonably well. Chelsea could drop to 12th if they lose to Spurs, but there is mitigating circumstances to their inconsistent results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have taken a toll. A interrupted 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 dismissal during Wednesday’s Carabao Cup win against Wolves was Chelsea’s sixth such red card in nine games, including Maresca’s removal from the touchline during the win over Liverpool.

Maresca was angry with Delap, who is banned for the trip to Spurs. But he is also considering how to make his team more incisive against defensive teams. The goals have dried up for João Pedro, and more reliability is needed from Chelsea’s young wingers.

Frustration mounted during last weekend’s 2-1 home loss by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their peak of the campaign, but their expected goals was 0.97. Sunderland’s change to a back five confused Maresca. Régis Le Bris had studied his opponent. Data indicating that it is one win from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its peak this season suggests that their fundamental philosophy is being weaponised and used to their disadvantage.

This is not a recent issue. It was no wins from the four league games in which Chelsea had their most possession last season, highlighting a vulnerability when Maresca’s drive for control is taken to extremes. The threat is falling into sterile domination, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s term. José Mourinho’s remark about the team with the ball having the fear also applies here.

Maresca contests this view, but it is worth noting that Chelsea had 33.5% possession when they produced their most impressive performance under the Italian and thrashed PSG in the Club World Cup final. Flexibility is a advantage. Chelsea have a number of fast attackers and are pulsating when they have room to attack.

Will Frank allow them space? Chelsea punished Postecoglou’s attacking tactics on their last two visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will certainly be more cautious. Is a shift to a back five possible? 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 improved at attacking set pieces but are conceding too many chances.

Being so straightforward does not necessarily align with Spurs’ style. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski missing, there is a significant creative responsibility on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, pursued by Chelsea last summer, has not done enough since joining RB Leipzig. Spurs are lacking variety in from open situations. Their forwards remain erratic.

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