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

The opinion was that Maresca’s structured approach and priority on possession made him the ideal candidate for Chelsea’s squad of technicians. Frank, who had excelled at Brentford, had to wait for his next opportunity. Overlooked by Manchester United after they dismissed Erik ten Hag, his opportunity came when Tottenham appointed the Danish manager after firing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

Currently, Frank and Maresca face each other, both holding major 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 more clear-cut 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 practical manager, more likely to be direct, play on the break, and wait for opportunities to execute an variety of effective set-piece plays, whereas Maresca veers towards dogmatism. The Italian hails from the Pep Guardiola coaching tree; he emphasizes control of the ball.

Chelsea’s possession average of 59.7% so far this campaign is exceeded only by Liverpool in the Premier League. Frank adapts his tactics more. Spurs are not instinctively a defensively-minded side – they are ranked seventh in the possession rankings, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is significant that their strongest performances have come in games where they have ceded the initiative. They were superb with a back five in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, executed an impressive counterpress when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and destroyed Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those results suggest Spurs ought to sit back when they face Chelsea. Tottenham, after all, have one win from their past seven home league games. The numbers are awful. Spurs’ return of 13 points from their last 18 home fixtures is the poorest of any team to have been in the top flight throughout that timeframe.

This is a difficult game to predict. Spurs are five points off the top and undefeated in the Champions League. Chelsea are Club World Cup winners and advanced to the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup this week. Yet, fans of both sides remain unconvinced about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have grumbled about a lack of creativity when the onus is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s lament about their young side’s immaturity, lack of discipline, and difficulties against defensive setups.

The situation is that both managers are doing fine. Chelsea could slip to 12th if they lose to Spurs, but there is background to their inconsistent results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have been costly. A interrupted pre-season, resulting from the club competing deep at the Club World Cup, cannot be overlooked.

Still, there is room for improvement, especially when it comes to maintaining 11 players on the pitch. Liam Delap’s rash sending off during Wednesday’s Carabao Cup success against Wolves was Chelsea’s sixth red card in nine games, including Maresca’s removal from the dugout during the win over Liverpool.

Maresca was angry with Delap, who is suspended for the fixture 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 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 adjustment to a five-man defense baffled Maresca. Régis Le Bris had prepared well. Statistics revealing that it is one win from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its peak this season implies that their core identity 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, underscoring a flaw 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 line about the team with the ball having the anxiety also is relevant.

Maresca disagrees, but it is worth remembering 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. Variety is a positive attribute. Chelsea have several fast attackers and are dynamic when they have room to attack.

Will Frank grant them space? Chelsea took advantage of Postecoglou’s gung-ho tactics on their past two trips to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will surely be more cautious. Is a shift 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 note that Chelsea have improved at offensive set pieces but are conceding too many chances.

Being so straightforward does not necessarily fit with Spurs’ traditions. 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 general play. Their forwards remain erratic.

But this is one game where the outcome may validate the means. Spurs fans will not object if a pragmatic approach ends a four-game sequence of defeats against Chelsea. Success would ignite Frank’s tenure. How he would cherish to win this contest with Maresca.