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

The belief was that Maresca’s positional game and focus on possession rendered him the ideal candidate for Chelsea’s team of skilled players. Frank, who had excelled at Brentford, had to remain patient for his big break. Passed over by Manchester United after they let go of Erik ten Hag, his moment came when Tottenham appointed the Dane after replacing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

Currently, Frank and Maresca confront one another, both holding high-profile roles. Theirs is not currently a full-blown rivalry, but they experienced some close matches last season. Frank’s Brentford were unlucky to suffer a 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge last December and created the more clear-cut chances when they drew 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two decent games, made more fascinating by the divergent approaches between the tacticians. Frank is considered a practical manager, more inclined to be straightforward, play on the break, and wait for opportunities to unveil an range of clinical set-piece strategies, whereas Maresca veers towards a strict philosophy. The Italian is a product of the Pep Guardiola coaching tree; he emphasizes dominance of the ball.

Chelsea’s average of 59.7% this season is exceeded only by Liverpool in the Premier League. Frank varies his approach more. Spurs are not instinctively a defensive side – they are seventh in the possession standings, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is significant that their most impressive displays have come in games where they have ceded the control. They were excellent with a five-man defense 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 experiences indicate Spurs should sit back when they host Chelsea. Tottenham, after all, have one win from their last seven home league games. The numbers are concerning. Spurs’ record of 13 points from their past 18 home fixtures is the poorest of any team to have been in the top flight during that period.

This is a hard game to predict. Spurs are five points off the top and unbeaten in the Champions League. Chelsea are Club World Cup winners and advanced to the last eight of the Carabao Cup this week. However, fans of both sides remain skeptical about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have grumbled about a lack of creativity when the onus is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s lament about their young side’s immaturity, indiscipline, and difficulties against defensive setups.

The reality is that both managers are performing adequately. Chelsea could drop to 12th if they lose to Spurs, but there is context to their mixed 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 ignored.

However, there is scope for progress, especially when it comes to maintaining 11 players on the pitch. Liam Delap’s unnecessary dismissal 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 suspended for the trip to Spurs. But he is also considering how to make his team more incisive against low blocks. The goals have slowed down for João Pedro, and more steadiness is needed from Chelsea’s young wide players.

Frustration built during last weekend’s 2-1 home defeat by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their peak of the campaign, but their xG was 0.97. Sunderland’s switch to a five-man defense flummoxed Maresca. Régis Le Bris had done his homework. Numbers indicating that it is one win from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its highest this season implies that their key approach is being exploited and turned on them.

This is not a recent issue. It was no wins from the four league games in which Chelsea had their highest possession stats last season, emphasizing a weakness when Maresca’s pursuit for control is taken to the limit. The threat is drifting into sterile domination, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s term. José Mourinho’s line about the team with the ball having the anxiety also applies here.

Maresca disagrees, but it is worth noting that Chelsea had 33.5% possession when they put in their finest performance under the Italian and decisively beat PSG in the Club World Cup final. Adaptability is a strength. Chelsea have plenty of fast attackers and are exciting when they have room to attack.

Will Frank allow them space? Chelsea punished Postecoglou’s adventurous tactics on their last two visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will certainly 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 chucking balls into the box. They will observe that Chelsea have gotten better at attacking set pieces but are conceding too many chances.

Being so straightforward does not necessarily fit with Spurs’ style. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski missing, there is a heavy creative load on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, courted by Chelsea last summer, has not done enough since arriving from RB Leipzig. Spurs are one-dimensional in open play. Their forwards remain erratic.

But this is one game where the ends may validate the approach. Spurs fans will not mind if a cautious approach halts a four-game winless streak against Chelsea. Success would boost Frank’s time in charge. How he would cherish to win this contest with Maresca.