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When Chelsea were searching 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 holding talks with Thomas Frank before they finally opted for Enzo Maresca.

The opinion was that Maresca’s structured approach and priority on possession positioned him as the ideal candidate for Chelsea’s squad of talented individuals. Frank, who had performed brilliantly at Brentford, had to bide his time for his next opportunity. Passed over by Manchester United after they let go of Erik ten Hag, his opportunity came when Tottenham hired the Dane after sacking Ange Postecoglou last summer.

At present, Frank and Maresca confront one another, both holding major roles. Their relationship is not yet a full-fledged rivalry, but they shared some hard-fought matches last season. Frank’s Brentford were unlucky to endure a 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge last December and had the more clear-cut chances when they drew 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two decent games, made more fascinating by the contrasting styles between the coaches. Frank is more of a practical manager, more likely to be direct, play on the counter-attack, and wait for chances to execute an range of deadly set-piece routines, whereas Maresca tends towards a strict philosophy. The Italian is a product of the Pep Guardiola school; 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 mixes it up more. Spurs are not inherently a defensive side – they are seventh in the possession table, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is significant that their most impressive showings have come in games where they have surrendered the control. They were superb with a five-man defense in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, executed an outstanding counterpress when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and dominated Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those performances suggest Spurs might sit back when they face Chelsea. Tottenham, after all, have only one victory from their past seven home league games. The statistics are concerning. Spurs’ return of 13 points from their past 18 home fixtures is the lowest 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 top and unbeaten in the Champions League. Chelsea are Club World Cup winners and reached the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup this week. However, fans of both sides remain doubtful about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have complained about a shortage of creativity when the pressure is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s lament about their young side’s inexperience, indiscipline, and toils against defensive setups.

The reality is that both managers are doing fine. Chelsea could drop to 12th if they lose to Spurs, but there is context to their inconsistent results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have taken a toll. A disrupted pre-season, due to the club going all the way at the Club World Cup, cannot be overlooked.

However, there is potential for progress, especially when it comes to keeping 11 players on the pitch. Liam Delap’s unnecessary sending off 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 banned for the visit to Spurs. But he is also pondering how to make his team more penetrative against low blocks. The goals have slowed down for João Pedro, and more steadiness is needed from Chelsea’s young attacking midfielders.

Frustration grew during last weekend’s 2-1 home loss by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their peak of the campaign, but their expected goals was 0.97. Sunderland’s switch to a five-man defense confused Maresca. Régis Le Bris had prepared well. Data indicating 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 vulnerability when Maresca’s pursuit for control is taken to the limit. The risk is falling into unproductive possession, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s phrase. José Mourinho’s comment about the team with the ball having the fear also comes to mind.

Maresca disagrees, but it is worth recalling 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 strength. Chelsea have plenty of fast attackers and are pulsating when they have space to attack.

Will Frank give them opportunity? Chelsea exploited Postecoglou’s attacking tactics on their last two trips to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will certainly be smarter. Is a change 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 take into account that Chelsea have improved at offensive set pieces but are conceding too many chances.

Being so straightforward does not necessarily align with Spurs’ traditions. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski missing, there is a considerable creative load on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, targeted by Chelsea last summer, has not made an impact since joining RB Leipzig. Spurs are predictable in general play. Their forwards remain erratic.

But this is one game where the result may justify the approach. Spurs fans will not mind if a pragmatic approach halts a four-game losing run against Chelsea. Success would ignite Frank’s tenure. How he would love to win this duel with Maresca.