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

The belief was that Maresca’s tactical system and priority on possession positioned him as the most suitable for Chelsea’s squad of talented individuals. Frank, who had excelled at Brentford, had to wait for his next chance. Not chosen by Manchester United after they parted ways with Erik ten Hag, his moment came when Tottenham hired the Dane after replacing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

Currently, Frank and Maresca meet, both holding major roles. Their relationship is not currently a established rivalry, but they experienced some close duels last season. Frank’s Brentford were unfortunate to endure a 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge last December and had the better chances when they drew 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two engaging games, made more interesting by the contrasting styles between the coaches. Frank is more of a practical manager, more willing to be direct, play on the break, and wait for chances to unveil an variety of effective set-piece strategies, whereas Maresca veers towards a strict philosophy. The Italian hails from the Pep Guardiola school; he emphasizes dominance of the ball.

Chelsea’s possession average of 59.7% this season is bettered only by Liverpool in the Premier League. Frank mixes it up more. Spurs are not inherently a defensively-minded side – they are seventh in the possession standings, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is telling that their strongest displays have come in games where they have surrendered the control. They were excellent with a back five in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, implemented an exceptional pressing game when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and destroyed Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those experiences point to Spurs ought to sit back when they face Chelsea. Tottenham, after all, have only one victory from their past seven home league games. The statistics are disappointing. Spurs’ record of 13 points from their past 18 home fixtures is the lowest of any team to have been in the top flight throughout that timeframe.

This is a tricky game to predict. Spurs are five points off the summit and unbeaten in the Champions League. Chelsea are Club World Cup winners and advanced to the last eight of the Carabao Cup this week. Nevertheless, fans of both sides remain doubtful about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have expressed frustration about a absence of creativity when the onus is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s moan about their young side’s immaturity, lack of discipline, and struggles against defensive setups.

The truth is that both managers are performing adequately. Chelsea could drop to 12th if they are defeated to Spurs, but there is background to their mixed results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have been costly. A interrupted pre-season, caused by the club reaching the final 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 rash dismissal during Wednesday’s Carabao Cup success against Wolves was Chelsea’s sixth red card in nine games, including Maresca’s dismissal from the technical area during the win over Liverpool.

Maresca was angry with Delap, who is banned for the fixture to Spurs. But he is also pondering how to make his team more incisive against low blocks. The goals have decreased for João Pedro, and more reliability is needed from Chelsea’s young wingers.

Irritation mounted 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 back five baffled 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 suggests that their fundamental philosophy is being used against them and turned on them.

This is not a new issue. It was no wins from the four league games in which Chelsea had their highest possession stats last season, underscoring a flaw when Maresca’s quest for control is taken to extremes. The risk is drifting into ineffective control, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s expression. José Mourinho’s line about the team with the ball having the fear also is relevant.

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 routed PSG in the Club World Cup final. Variety is a advantage. Chelsea have a number of fast attackers and are exciting when they have space to attack.

Will Frank grant them space? Chelsea took advantage of Postecoglou’s attacking tactics on their last two visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will surely be more cautious. Is a shift to a five-man defense 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 take into account that Chelsea have gotten better at attacking set pieces but are allowing too many chances.

Being so long-ball oriented does not necessarily align with Spurs’ traditions. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski missing, there is a considerable creative responsibility on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, courted by Chelsea last summer, has not made an impact since joining RB Leipzig. Spurs are one-dimensional in open play. Their forwards remain erratic.

But this is one game where the outcome may excuse the means. Spurs fans will not object if a pragmatic 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.