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At the time Chelsea were seeking for a replacement for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, multiple managers were in contention. It was an thorough process that saw the club holding talks with Thomas Frank before they eventually selected Enzo Maresca.

The belief was that Maresca’s structured approach and focus on possession made him the most suitable for Chelsea’s team of talented individuals. Frank, who had performed brilliantly at Brentford, had to wait for his next chance. Overlooked by Manchester United after they dismissed Erik ten Hag, his moment came when Tottenham brought in the Dane after firing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

Currently, Frank and Maresca face each other, both in major roles. Theirs is not currently a established rivalry, but they had some tight encounters last season. Frank’s Brentford were unfortunate to endure a 2-1 loss at Stamford Bridge last December and created the superior chances when they tied 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two engaging games, made more interesting by the contrasting styles between the tacticians. Frank is considered a adaptable coach, more inclined to be direct, play on the counter-attack, and wait for chances to deploy an array of deadly set-piece strategies, whereas Maresca tends towards ideological rigidity. The Italian comes from the Pep Guardiola philosophy; he emphasizes dominance of the ball.

Chelsea’s 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 defensively-minded side – they are seventh in the possession rankings, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is significant that their best performances have come in games where they have surrendered the control. They were outstanding with a five-man defense in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, executed an impressive counterpress when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and overwhelmed Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those experiences indicate Spurs ought to adopt a defensive approach when they host Chelsea. Tottenham, it must be noted, have one win from their last seven home league games. The figures are disappointing. Spurs’ return of 13 points from their last 18 home matches 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 advanced to the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup this week. However, fans of both sides remain skeptical about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have grumbled about a shortage of creativity when the onus is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s moan about their young side’s immaturity, indiscipline, and struggles against low blocks.

The reality is that both managers are doing fine. Chelsea could drop to 12th if they are defeated to Spurs, but there is background to their inconsistent results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have had an impact. A interrupted pre-season, caused by the club reaching the final at the Club World Cup, cannot be ignored.

However, there is scope for improvement, 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 red card in nine games, including Maresca’s removal from the technical area during the win over Liverpool.

Maresca was furious with Delap, who is banned for the visit to Spurs. But he is also considering how to make his team more effective against low blocks. The goals have slowed down for João Pedro, and more consistency is required from Chelsea’s young wide players.

Frustration built during last weekend’s 2-1 home defeat by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their highest of the season, but their xG was 0.97. Sunderland’s switch to a back five confused Maresca. Régis Le Bris had prepared well. Statistics revealing that it is only one victory from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its highest this season implies 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 highest possession stats last season, highlighting a weakness when Maresca’s quest for control is taken to the limit. The risk is slipping into ineffective control, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s phrase. José Mourinho’s comment about the team with the ball having the fear also applies here.

Maresca differs in opinion, but it is worth recalling that Chelsea had 33.5% possession when they delivered their finest performance under the Italian and decisively beat PSG in the Club World Cup final. Flexibility is a strength. Chelsea have several fast attackers and are dynamic when they have room to attack.

Will Frank grant them opportunity? Chelsea punished Postecoglou’s attacking tactics on their past two visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will surely be smarter. Is a shift to a back five on the cards? Chelsea have conceded from three long throws this season. Spurs could have Kevin Danso chucking balls into the box. They will observe that Chelsea have gotten better at attacking set pieces but are allowing too many chances.

Being so direct does not necessarily fit with Spurs’ history. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski unavailable, there is a significant creative responsibility on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, targeted by Chelsea last summer, has not made an impact since arriving from RB Leipzig. Spurs are lacking variety in general play. Their forwards remain erratic.

But this is one game where the ends may justify the approach. Spurs fans will not object if a cautious approach halts a four-game sequence of defeats against Chelsea. A win would boost Frank’s time in charge. How he would love to win this contest with Maresca.