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At the time Chelsea were looking for a replacement for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, several managers were evaluated. This was an thorough process that saw the club holding talks with Thomas Frank before they ultimately chose Enzo Maresca.

The feeling was that Maresca’s tactical system and focus on possession made him the most suitable for Chelsea’s squad of talented individuals. Frank, who had performed brilliantly at Brentford, had to wait for his next chance. Passed over by Manchester United after they let go of Erik ten Hag, his moment came when Tottenham appointed the Danish manager after sacking Ange Postecoglou last summer.

Currently, Frank and Maresca meet, both in major roles. Theirs is not currently a full-blown rivalry, but they had some hard-fought matches last season. Frank’s Brentford were unlucky to suffer a 2-1 loss at Stamford Bridge last December and had the superior chances when they tied 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two decent games, made more fascinating by the divergent approaches between the tacticians. Frank is more of a adaptable coach, more inclined to be straightforward, play on the break, and wait for opportunities to unveil an array of clinical set-piece routines, whereas Maresca veers towards dogmatism. The Italian hails from the Pep Guardiola philosophy; he values control of the ball.

Chelsea’s average of 59.7% so far this campaign is bettered only by Liverpool in the Premier League. Frank adapts his tactics more. Spurs are not instinctively a defensively-minded side – they are seventh in the possession table, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is significant 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 pressing game when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and overwhelmed Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those experiences point to Spurs might play on the counter when they welcome Chelsea. Tottenham, after all, have only one victory from their last seven home league games. The numbers are awful. Spurs’ record of 13 points from their last 18 home matches is the poorest of any team to have been in the top flight throughout that period.

This is a hard game to call. Spurs are five points off first place and unbeaten in the Champions League. Chelsea are world champions 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 complained about a absence of creativity when the pressure is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s lament about their young side’s inexperience, lack of discipline, and difficulties against defensive setups.

The situation is that both managers are doing fine. Chelsea could slip 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 taken a toll. A disrupted pre-season, resulting from the club competing deep at the Club World Cup, cannot be overlooked.

However, there is room for progress, especially when it comes to keeping 11 players on the pitch. Liam Delap’s unnecessary dismissal during Wednesday’s Carabao Cup win against Wolves was Chelsea’s sixth such red card in nine games, including Maresca’s dismissal from the dugout during the win over Liverpool.

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

Disappointment grew during last weekend’s 2-1 home defeat by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their peak of the season, but their xG was 0.97. Sunderland’s switch to a five-man defense flummoxed Maresca. Régis Le Bris had prepared well. Data revealing that it is only one victory from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its maximum this season implies that their key approach is being weaponised 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, highlighting a weakness when Maresca’s drive for control is taken to the limit. The threat is drifting into ineffective control, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s term. José Mourinho’s comment about the team with the ball having the worry also comes to mind.

Maresca contests this view, but it is worth recalling that Chelsea had 33.5% possession when they delivered their most impressive performance under the Italian and routed PSG in the Club World Cup final. Adaptability is a advantage. Chelsea have a number of fast attackers and are dynamic when they have space to attack.

Will Frank give them freedom? Chelsea took advantage of Postecoglou’s adventurous tactics on their past two visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will surely be more strategic. Is a switch to a back five likely? 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 allowing too many chances.

Being so long-ball oriented does not necessarily align with Spurs’ style. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski unavailable, there is a significant creative load on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, targeted by Chelsea last summer, has not done enough since joining RB Leipzig. Spurs are predictable in from open situations. Their forwards remain unreliable.

But this is one game where the result may excuse the approach. Spurs fans will not complain if a cautious approach ends a four-game winless streak against Chelsea. A win would ignite Frank’s time in charge. How he would cherish to win this battle with Maresca.