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When Chelsea were seeking for a successor for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, multiple managers were in contention. This was an comprehensive process that saw the club engaging with Thomas Frank before they finally selected Enzo Maresca.

The opinion was that Maresca’s structured approach and emphasis on possession rendered him the most suitable for Chelsea’s roster of technicians. Frank, who had achieved great success at Brentford, had to bide his time for his big break. Passed over by Manchester United after they parted ways with Erik ten Hag, his opportunity arrived when Tottenham hired the Danish manager after firing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

Now, Frank and Maresca face each other, both holding major roles. Their relationship is not currently a full-blown rivalry, but they shared some hard-fought encounters last season. Frank’s Brentford were unfortunate to suffer a 2-1 loss at Stamford Bridge last December and had the superior chances when they drew 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two competitive games, made more interesting by the tactical differences between the coaches. Frank is considered a pragmatist, more inclined to be direct, play on the break, and wait for opportunities to execute an variety of effective set-piece routines, whereas Maresca leans towards a strict philosophy. The Italian comes from the Pep Guardiola coaching tree; he emphasizes control of the ball.

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

Those experiences indicate Spurs ought to play on the counter when they welcome Chelsea. Tottenham, it must be noted, have only one victory from their past seven home league games. The numbers are disappointing. Spurs’ return of 13 points from their past 18 home fixtures is the poorest of any team to have been in the top flight during that period.

This is a hard game to predict. Spurs are five points off first place and unbeaten in the Champions League. Chelsea are world champions and reached the quarter-finals 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 responsibility is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s moan about their young side’s inexperience, indiscipline, and struggles against defensive setups.

The reality is that both managers are doing fine. Chelsea could drop to 12th if they are defeated to Spurs, but there is mitigating circumstances to their mixed results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have been costly. A interrupted pre-season, caused by the club competing deep at the Club World Cup, cannot be ignored.

Yet, 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 success against Wolves was Chelsea’s sixth such red card in nine games, including Maresca’s banishment from the dugout during the win over Liverpool.

Maresca was displeased with Delap, who is banned for the trip to Spurs. But he is also pondering how to make his team more effective against low blocks. The goals have dried up for João Pedro, and more reliability is required from Chelsea’s young attacking midfielders.

Irritation 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 change to a back five confused Maresca. Régis Le Bris had prepared well. Numbers showing that it is only one victory from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its peak this season implies that their core identity is being exploited 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 most possession last season, emphasizing a weakness when Maresca’s quest for control is taken to the limit. The risk is falling into sterile domination, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s expression. José Mourinho’s remark about the team with the ball having the fear also comes to mind.

Maresca contests this view, but it is worth recalling 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. Flexibility is a advantage. Chelsea have a number of fast attackers and are dynamic 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 more cautious. Is a shift to a back five on the cards? Chelsea have allowed goals from three long throws this season. Spurs could have Kevin Danso throwing 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 match Spurs’ history. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski unavailable, there is a heavy creative burden on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, targeted by Chelsea last summer, has not performed to expectations since arriving from RB Leipzig. Spurs are predictable in general play. Their forwards remain inconsistent.

But this is one game where the ends may validate the method. Spurs fans will not mind if a defensive approach ends a four-game losing run against Chelsea. A win would energize Frank’s reign. How he would cherish to win this contest with Maresca.