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When Chelsea were looking for a successor for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, a number of managers were in contention. It was an thorough process that saw the club engaging with Thomas Frank before they finally opted for Enzo Maresca.

The belief was that Maresca’s tactical system and focus on possession rendered him the most suitable for Chelsea’s roster of skilled players. Frank, who had performed brilliantly at Brentford, had to wait for his next opportunity. Not chosen by Manchester United after they dismissed Erik ten Hag, his break arrived when Tottenham brought in the Dane after sacking Ange Postecoglou last summer.

At present, Frank and Maresca meet, both in prestigious roles. Their relationship is not yet a established rivalry, but they had some close duels last season. Frank’s Brentford were unfortunate to suffer a 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge last December and created the superior chances when they drew 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two decent games, made more fascinating by the divergent approaches between the managers. Frank is considered a pragmatist, more inclined to be straightforward, play on the break, and wait for opportunities to execute an range of deadly set-piece strategies, whereas Maresca tends towards ideological rigidity. The Italian hails from the Pep Guardiola philosophy; he emphasizes control 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 defensive side – they are seventh in the possession table, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is telling that their strongest displays have come in games where they have surrendered the possession. They were superb 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 dominated Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those performances indicate Spurs ought to sit back when they face 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 last 18 home outings is the worst of any team to have been in the top flight during that timeframe.

This is a difficult game to read. Spurs are five points off first place and unbeaten 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 skeptical about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have complained about a lack of creativity when the onus is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s complain about their young side’s inexperience, indiscipline, and toils against low blocks.

The situation is that both managers are performing adequately. 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 disrupted pre-season, caused by the club going all the way at the Club World Cup, cannot be overlooked.

Yet, there is scope for progress, especially when it comes to maintaining 11 players on the pitch. Liam Delap’s ludicrous 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 displeased with Delap, who is suspended for the trip to Spurs. But he is also considering how to make his team more penetrative against low blocks. The goals have slowed down for João Pedro, and more consistency is required from Chelsea’s young wingers.

Frustration mounted during last weekend’s 2-1 home loss by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their highest of the season, but their expected goals was 0.97. Sunderland’s change to a back five confused Maresca. Régis Le Bris had prepared well. 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 key approach is being exploited 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 most possession last season, underscoring a flaw when Maresca’s quest for control is taken to extremes. The threat is slipping into ineffective control, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s term. José Mourinho’s remark 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 produced their most impressive performance under the Italian and thrashed PSG in the Club World Cup final. Adaptability is a advantage. Chelsea have plenty of fast attackers and are dynamic when they have room to attack.

Will Frank grant them opportunity? Chelsea took advantage of Postecoglou’s adventurous tactics on their past two trips to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will certainly be more cautious. Is a shift to a five-man defense possible? 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 gotten better at attacking set pieces but are conceding too many chances.

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

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