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

The belief was that Maresca’s structured approach and priority on possession positioned him as the ideal candidate for Chelsea’s team of skilled players. Frank, who had achieved great success at Brentford, had to bide his time for his next chance. Overlooked by Manchester United after they let go of Erik ten Hag, his opportunity arrived when Tottenham hired the Danish manager after sacking Ange Postecoglou last summer.

Now, Frank and Maresca face each other, both occupying major roles. Theirs is not yet a established rivalry, but they shared some hard-fought matches last season. Frank’s Brentford were unlucky to suffer a 2-1 loss at Stamford Bridge last December and had 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 more of a adaptable coach, more likely to be straightforward, play on the counter-attack, and wait for opportunities to unveil an variety of effective set-piece routines, whereas Maresca veers towards ideological rigidity. The Italian is a product of the Pep Guardiola philosophy; he prizes control of the ball.

Chelsea’s possession average of 59.7% this season is exceeded only by Liverpool in the Premier League. Frank varies his approach more. Spurs are not inherently a defensive side – they are seventh in the possession standings, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is significant that their strongest showings have come in games where they have relinquished the possession. They were superb with a defensive setup in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, executed an exceptional counterpress when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and overwhelmed Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those experiences point to Spurs should play on the counter when they host Chelsea. Tottenham, it must be noted, have only one victory from their past seven home league games. The numbers are concerning. Spurs’ record of 13 points from their last 18 home fixtures is the lowest of any team to have been in the top flight during that period.

This is a difficult game to call. Spurs are five points off the top and unbeaten in the Champions League. Chelsea are Club World Cup winners and reached the last eight of the Carabao Cup this week. Yet, fans of both sides remain doubtful 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 moan about their young side’s inexperience, indiscipline, and struggles against defensive setups.

The truth is that both managers are doing fine. Chelsea could slip to 12th if they lose to Spurs, but there is mitigating circumstances to their inconsistent results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have been costly. A interrupted pre-season, due to the club going all the way at the Club World Cup, cannot be ignored.

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

Maresca was furious with Delap, who is banned for the fixture 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 wide players.

Irritation built during last weekend’s 2-1 home loss by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their maximum of the season, but their xG was 0.97. Sunderland’s change to a five-man defense confused Maresca. Régis Le Bris had done his homework. Statistics revealing that it is only one victory from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its peak this season implies that their fundamental philosophy is being exploited and turned on them.

This is not a new issue. It was zero victories from the four league games in which Chelsea had their most possession last season, emphasizing a flaw when Maresca’s quest for control is taken to extremes. The threat is drifting into ineffective control, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s term. José Mourinho’s comment about the team with the ball having the anxiety also comes to mind.

Maresca differs in opinion, but it is worth remembering that Chelsea had 33.5% possession when they put in their best performance under the Italian and thrashed PSG in the Club World Cup final. Adaptability is a strength. Chelsea have plenty of fast attackers and are pulsating when they have room to attack.

Will Frank give them opportunity? Chelsea took advantage of Postecoglou’s gung-ho tactics on their past two trips to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will certainly 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 throwing balls into the box. They will note that Chelsea have gotten better 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 unavailable, there is a considerable creative burden on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, targeted by Chelsea last summer, has not performed to expectations since joining RB Leipzig. Spurs are predictable in open play. Their forwards remain erratic.

But this is one game where the outcome may excuse the method. Spurs fans will not object if a pragmatic approach breaks a four-game losing run against Chelsea. Victory would ignite Frank’s tenure. How he would relish to win this duel with Maresca.