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At the time Chelsea were looking for a successor for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, a number of managers were evaluated. It was an comprehensive process that involved the club holding talks with Thomas Frank before they eventually selected Enzo Maresca.

The feeling was that Maresca’s tactical system and priority on possession made him the best fit for Chelsea’s roster of talented individuals. Frank, who had performed brilliantly at Brentford, had to remain patient for his next chance. Passed over by Manchester United after they let go of Erik ten Hag, his opportunity arrived when Tottenham appointed the Dane after firing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

Now, Frank and Maresca meet, both in high-profile roles. Theirs is not currently a full-blown rivalry, but they had some close duels 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 engaging games, made more interesting by the divergent approaches between the coaches. Frank is more of a practical manager, more willing to be direct, play on the counter-attack, and wait for opportunities to deploy an range of deadly set-piece strategies, whereas Maresca veers towards a strict philosophy. The Italian is a product of the Pep Guardiola philosophy; he prizes control of the ball.

Chelsea’s average of 59.7% this season is bettered only by Liverpool in the Premier League. Frank mixes it up more. Spurs are not naturally a defensive side – they are ranked seventh in the possession rankings, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is telling that their best showings have come in games where they have relinquished the control. They were superb with a five-man defense in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, executed an impressive pressing game when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and overwhelmed Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those performances indicate Spurs ought to sit back when they face Chelsea. Tottenham, it must be noted, have only one victory from their last seven home league games. The numbers are concerning. Spurs’ return of 13 points from their last 18 home fixtures is the worst of any team to have been in the top flight during that timeframe.

This is a hard game to read. Spurs are five points off the summit and undefeated in the Champions League. Chelsea are world champions and reached the last eight of the Carabao Cup this week. However, fans of both sides remain unconvinced 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 immaturity, lack of discipline, and struggles against defensive setups.

The truth is that both managers are doing fine. Chelsea could fall to 12th if they lose to Spurs, but there is context to their indifferent results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have been costly. A disrupted pre-season, due to the club reaching the final 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 ludicrous red card during Wednesday’s Carabao Cup win against Wolves was Chelsea’s sixth such red card in nine games, including Maresca’s banishment from the touchline during the win over Liverpool.

Maresca was angry with Delap, who is suspended for the trip to Spurs. But he is also considering how to make his team more penetrative against defensive teams. The goals have decreased for João Pedro, and more reliability is needed from Chelsea’s young wingers.

Frustration built during last weekend’s 2-1 home defeat by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their maximum of the campaign, but their xG was 0.97. Sunderland’s change to a back five baffled Maresca. Régis Le Bris had studied his opponent. Data revealing that it is only one victory from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its highest this season indicates that their fundamental philosophy is being weaponised 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, underscoring a weakness when Maresca’s quest for control is taken to extremes. The threat is slipping into sterile domination, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s phrase. José Mourinho’s line about the team with the ball having the anxiety also is relevant.

Maresca contests this view, but it is worth noting that Chelsea had 33.5% possession when they put in their finest performance under the Italian and routed PSG in the Club World Cup final. Flexibility is a advantage. 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 past two trips to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will surely be more strategic. Is a shift 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 note that Chelsea have gotten better at offensive set pieces but are conceding too many chances.

Being so long-ball oriented does not necessarily align with Spurs’ style. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski missing, there is a significant creative load on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, targeted by Chelsea last summer, has not made an impact since joining RB Leipzig. Spurs are lacking variety in open play. Their forwards remain inconsistent.

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 ignite Frank’s time in charge. How he would cherish to win this contest with Maresca.