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At the time Chelsea were seeking for a replacement for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, several managers were in contention. It was an extensive process that involved the club engaging with Thomas Frank before they finally chose Enzo Maresca.

The belief was that Maresca’s tactical system and priority on possession positioned him as the ideal candidate for Chelsea’s roster of skilled players. Frank, who had achieved great success at Brentford, had to remain patient for his big break. Overlooked by Manchester United after they dismissed Erik ten Hag, his break came when Tottenham hired the Danish manager after sacking Ange Postecoglou last summer.

Now, Frank and Maresca meet, both occupying major roles. Theirs is not currently a full-fledged rivalry, but they experienced some tight encounters last season. Frank’s Brentford were unfortunate to suffer a 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge last December and created the better chances when they tied 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two engaging games, made more fascinating by the divergent approaches between the tacticians. Frank is considered a practical manager, more likely to be straightforward, play on the break, and wait for opportunities to deploy an variety of deadly set-piece plays, whereas Maresca veers towards ideological rigidity. 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 naturally a defensive side – they are ranked seventh in the possession table, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is notable that their best showings have come in games where they have ceded the possession. They were excellent 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 destroyed Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those experiences suggest Spurs might sit back when they host Chelsea. Tottenham, after all, have only one victory from their past seven home league games. The figures are disappointing. Spurs’ record of 13 points from their past 18 home matches is the worst of any team to have been in the top flight throughout that timeframe.

This is a difficult game to read. Spurs are five points off first place and undefeated in the Champions League. Chelsea are world champions and advanced to the last eight of the Carabao Cup this week. Yet, fans of both sides remain skeptical about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have complained about a absence of creativity when the responsibility is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s complain about their young side’s immaturity, indiscipline, and difficulties against defensive setups.

The truth is that both managers are managing reasonably well. Chelsea could fall to 12th if they are defeated to Spurs, but there is mitigating circumstances to their inconsistent results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have been costly. A disrupted pre-season, due to the club going all the way at the Club World Cup, cannot be dismissed.

However, there is potential for development, especially when it comes to keeping 11 players on the pitch. Liam Delap’s unnecessary red card during Wednesday’s Carabao Cup success against Wolves was Chelsea’s sixth red card in nine games, including Maresca’s removal from the technical area during the win over Liverpool.

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

Frustration grew 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 adjustment to a five-man defense confused Maresca. Régis Le Bris had prepared well. Numbers indicating that it is one win from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its maximum this season suggests that their core identity is being exploited and used to their disadvantage.

This is not a new issue. It was no wins from the four league games in which Chelsea had their most possession last season, underscoring a vulnerability when Maresca’s drive for control is taken to the limit. The danger is falling into unproductive possession, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s expression. José Mourinho’s remark about the team with the ball having the worry also comes to mind.

Maresca contests this view, but it is worth noting that Chelsea had 33.5% possession when they delivered their best performance under the Italian and decisively beat PSG in the Club World Cup final. Adaptability 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 punished 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 possible? Chelsea have conceded from three long throws this season. Spurs could have Kevin Danso chucking 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 direct does not necessarily fit with Spurs’ history. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski missing, there is a heavy creative burden on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, pursued by Chelsea last summer, has not done enough since joining RB Leipzig. Spurs are one-dimensional in from open situations. Their forwards remain erratic.

But this is one game where the result may validate the means. Spurs fans will not object if a pragmatic approach ends a four-game winless streak against Chelsea. A win would energize Frank’s time in charge. How he would relish to win this battle with Maresca.