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At the time Chelsea were seeking for a replacement for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, a number of managers were considered. It was an thorough process that saw the club holding talks with Thomas Frank before they ultimately opted for Enzo Maresca.

The feeling was that Maresca’s structured approach and focus on possession made him the most suitable for Chelsea’s roster of skilled players. Frank, who had achieved great success at Brentford, had to wait for his next opportunity. Not chosen by Manchester United after they let go of Erik ten Hag, his moment arrived when Tottenham brought in the Danish manager after sacking Ange Postecoglou last summer.

Currently, Frank and Maresca meet, both occupying prestigious roles. Theirs is not currently a established rivalry, but they had some close duels last season. Frank’s Brentford were unfortunate to endure 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 competitive games, made more interesting by the tactical differences between the coaches. Frank is considered a pragmatist, more inclined to be direct, play on the counter-attack, and wait for opportunities to execute an range of effective set-piece routines, whereas Maresca tends towards dogmatism. The Italian hails from the Pep Guardiola coaching tree; he emphasizes control of the ball.

Chelsea’s average of 59.7% so far this campaign is bettered only by Liverpool in the Premier League. Frank adapts his tactics more. Spurs are not inherently a defensively-minded side – they are seventh in the possession table, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is notable that their strongest displays have come in games where they have surrendered the possession. They were superb with a back five in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, implemented an outstanding pressing game when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and overwhelmed Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those performances suggest Spurs should adopt a defensive approach when they host Chelsea. Tottenham, after all, have one win from their last seven home league games. The statistics are concerning. Spurs’ return of 13 points from their last 18 home matches is the lowest of any team to have been in the top flight during that period.

This is a tricky game to predict. Spurs are five points off the summit and unbeaten in the Champions League. Chelsea are world champions and reached the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup this week. Nevertheless, fans of both sides remain doubtful about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have expressed frustration about a lack of creativity when the pressure is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s complain about their young side’s inexperience, lack of discipline, and toils against low blocks.

The truth is that both managers are performing adequately. Chelsea could fall to 12th if they are defeated to Spurs, but there is context to their indifferent results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have been costly. A disrupted pre-season, resulting from the club reaching the final at the Club World Cup, cannot be dismissed.

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

Maresca was displeased with Delap, who is suspended for the trip to Spurs. But he is also pondering how to make his team more incisive against defensive teams. The goals have slowed down for João Pedro, and more steadiness is required from Chelsea’s young wingers.

Frustration built during last weekend’s 2-1 home loss by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their highest of the season, but their xG was 0.97. Sunderland’s change to a five-man defense confused Maresca. Régis Le Bris had studied his opponent. Numbers indicating 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 core identity is being used against them and turned on them.

This is not a recent issue. It was zero victories from the four league games in which Chelsea had their most possession last season, underscoring a vulnerability when Maresca’s drive 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 worry also is relevant.

Maresca contests this view, but it is worth recalling that Chelsea had 33.5% possession when they delivered their best performance under the Italian and routed PSG in the Club World Cup final. Variety is a strength. Chelsea have a number of fast attackers and are dynamic when they have room to attack.

Will Frank give them freedom? Chelsea exploited Postecoglou’s gung-ho tactics on their last two visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will surely be smarter. Is a change to a five-man defense on the cards? Chelsea have allowed goals from three long throws this season. Spurs could have Kevin Danso launching balls into the box. They will take into account that Chelsea have improved at offensive set pieces but are allowing too many chances.

Being so long-ball oriented does not necessarily fit with Spurs’ traditions. 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 done enough since joining RB Leipzig. Spurs are one-dimensional in general play. Their forwards remain erratic.

But this is one game where the result may excuse the method. Spurs fans will not mind if a cautious approach breaks a four-game sequence of defeats against Chelsea. Victory would ignite Frank’s reign. How he would love to win this battle with Maresca.