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When Chelsea were searching for a successor for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, several managers were in contention. It was an extensive process that saw the club holding talks with Thomas Frank before they eventually chose Enzo Maresca.

The opinion was that Maresca’s positional game and priority on possession rendered him the best fit for Chelsea’s squad of talented individuals. Frank, who had achieved great success at Brentford, had to bide his time for his next chance. Overlooked by Manchester United after they dismissed Erik ten Hag, his opportunity arrived when Tottenham hired the Danish manager after sacking Ange Postecoglou last summer.

Currently, Frank and Maresca face each other, both occupying prestigious roles. Theirs is not yet a full-fledged rivalry, but they experienced some close duels last season. Frank’s Brentford were unlucky to suffer 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 competitive games, made more interesting by the tactical differences between the tacticians. Frank is more of a adaptable coach, more willing to be straightforward, play on the break, and wait for opportunities to unveil an array of clinical set-piece strategies, whereas Maresca veers towards a strict philosophy. The Italian hails from the Pep Guardiola philosophy; he prizes dominance 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 inherently a defensively-minded side – they are ranked seventh in the possession rankings, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is notable that their strongest displays have come in games where they have relinquished the control. They were outstanding with a five-man defense in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, implemented an outstanding pressing game when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and dominated Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those experiences point to Spurs might sit back when they face Chelsea. Tottenham, it must be noted, have one win from their last seven home league games. The statistics are awful. Spurs’ return of 13 points from their last 18 home outings is the worst 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 the top and undefeated in the Champions League. Chelsea are Club World Cup winners 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 lack of creativity when the pressure is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s lament about their young side’s immaturity, lack of discipline, and toils 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 indifferent results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have taken a toll. A disrupted pre-season, caused by the club reaching the final at the Club World Cup, cannot be ignored.

Still, there is scope for improvement, especially when it comes to keeping 11 players on the pitch. Liam Delap’s rash dismissal during Wednesday’s Carabao Cup win against Wolves was Chelsea’s sixth such 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 considering how to make his team more effective against defensive teams. The goals have decreased for João Pedro, and more consistency is required from Chelsea’s young wide players.

Frustration grew during last weekend’s 2-1 home defeat by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their peak of the campaign, but their xG was 0.97. Sunderland’s change to a five-man defense flummoxed Maresca. Régis Le Bris had done his homework. Statistics showing that it is one win from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its highest this season indicates that their key approach is being weaponised and turned on them.

This is not a new issue. It was zero victories from the four league games in which Chelsea had their most possession last season, highlighting a weakness when Maresca’s quest for control is taken to extremes. The risk is falling into ineffective control, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s phrase. José Mourinho’s line about the team with the ball having the anxiety also comes to mind.

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

Will Frank give them space? Chelsea exploited Postecoglou’s attacking tactics on their last two visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will undoubtedly be more cautious. Is a shift to a back five likely? Chelsea have conceded from three long throws this season. Spurs could have Kevin Danso chucking balls into the box. They will observe that Chelsea have improved at attacking set pieces but are allowing too many chances.

Being so long-ball oriented does not necessarily align with Spurs’ history. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski unavailable, there is a heavy creative load on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, pursued by Chelsea last summer, has not performed to expectations since arriving from RB Leipzig. Spurs are lacking variety in open play. Their forwards remain erratic.

But this is one game where the outcome may justify the means. Spurs fans will not complain if a cautious approach breaks a four-game sequence of defeats against Chelsea. Success would ignite Frank’s time in charge. How he would love to win this battle with Maresca.