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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 ultimately opted for Enzo Maresca.

The belief was that Maresca’s structured approach and emphasis on possession made him the most suitable for Chelsea’s squad 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 parted ways with Erik ten Hag, his break arrived when Tottenham appointed the Danish manager after firing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

At present, Frank and Maresca face each other, both holding high-profile roles. Their relationship is not currently a established rivalry, but they had some close matches 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 drew 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two competitive games, made more intriguing by the contrasting styles between the coaches. Frank is considered a adaptable coach, more inclined to be direct, play on the counter-attack, and wait for opportunities to execute an variety of effective set-piece plays, whereas Maresca leans towards dogmatism. The Italian hails from the Pep Guardiola school; he values control 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 naturally a defensive side – they are 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 surrendered the initiative. They were excellent 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 point to Spurs should sit back when they welcome Chelsea. Tottenham, after all, have one win from their last seven home league games. The figures are concerning. 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 predict. Spurs are five points off the summit and undefeated in the Champions League. Chelsea are world champions and reached the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup this week. Yet, fans of both sides remain unconvinced about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have complained about a lack of creativity when the onus is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s moan about their young side’s immaturity, indiscipline, and struggles against defensive setups.

The reality is that both managers are performing adequately. Chelsea could slip to 12th if they are defeated to Spurs, but there is background to their mixed results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have had an impact. A disrupted pre-season, due to the club going all the way at the Club World Cup, cannot be dismissed.

Still, there is scope for improvement, especially when it comes to maintaining 11 players on the pitch. Liam Delap’s unnecessary red card during Wednesday’s Carabao Cup victory against Wolves was Chelsea’s sixth such red card in nine games, including Maresca’s removal from the dugout during the win over Liverpool.

Maresca was furious with Delap, who is banned for the trip to Spurs. But he is also thinking about how to make his team more effective against low blocks. The goals have dried up for João Pedro, and more consistency is needed from Chelsea’s young attacking midfielders.

Disappointment 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 back five 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 maximum this season indicates that their fundamental philosophy is being weaponised 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 highest possession stats last season, underscoring a weakness when Maresca’s pursuit for control is taken to extremes. The risk is slipping into unproductive possession, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s phrase. José Mourinho’s remark about the team with the ball having the anxiety also comes to mind.

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 routed PSG in the Club World Cup final. Flexibility is a positive attribute. Chelsea have a number of fast attackers and are pulsating when they have space to attack.

Will Frank give them freedom? Chelsea took advantage of Postecoglou’s attacking tactics on their past two visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will certainly be more strategic. Is a shift to a back five 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 observe that Chelsea have improved at offensive set pieces but are conceding too many chances.

Being so straightforward does not necessarily match Spurs’ traditions. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski unavailable, there is a heavy creative load on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, pursued by Chelsea last summer, has not made an impact since arriving from RB Leipzig. Spurs are predictable in from open situations. Their forwards remain inconsistent.

But this is one game where the ends may excuse the approach. Spurs fans will not mind if a cautious approach halts a four-game losing run against Chelsea. A win would boost Frank’s time in charge. How he would love to win this duel with Maresca.