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At the time Chelsea were looking for a successor for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, multiple managers were in contention. This was an extensive process that involved the club engaging with Thomas Frank before they ultimately chose Enzo Maresca.

The feeling was that Maresca’s structured approach and emphasis on possession made him the best fit for Chelsea’s roster of skilled players. Frank, who had excelled at Brentford, had to wait for his next chance. Overlooked by Manchester United after they parted ways with Erik ten Hag, his opportunity arrived when Tottenham hired the Danish manager after sacking Ange Postecoglou last summer.

At present, Frank and Maresca face each other, both in high-profile roles. Theirs is not yet a established rivalry, but they experienced some tight duels last season. Frank’s Brentford were unfortunate to suffer a 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge last December and created the superior chances when they tied 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two competitive games, made more fascinating by the divergent approaches between the managers. Frank is more of a practical manager, more likely to be direct, play on the counter-attack, and wait for chances to deploy an variety of deadly set-piece plays, whereas Maresca leans towards ideological rigidity. The Italian is a product of the Pep Guardiola philosophy; he prizes dominance 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 table, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is telling that their strongest displays have come in games where they have surrendered the control. They were outstanding with a back five in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, executed an impressive pressing game when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and dominated Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those results suggest Spurs might sit back when they face Chelsea. Tottenham, it must be noted, have one win from their past 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 during that period.

This is a tricky game to predict. Spurs are five points off the top and unbeaten 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 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 lament about their young side’s inexperience, lack of discipline, and difficulties against defensive setups.

The truth is that both managers are managing reasonably well. Chelsea could drop to 12th if they lose to Spurs, but there is context to their mixed results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have been costly. A interrupted pre-season, resulting from the club going all the way at the Club World Cup, cannot be ignored.

Still, there is potential for progress, especially when it comes to maintaining 11 players on the pitch. Liam Delap’s ludicrous sending off during Wednesday’s Carabao Cup victory 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 displeased with Delap, who is banned for the visit to Spurs. But he is also thinking about how to make his team more incisive against defensive teams. The goals have decreased for João Pedro, and more steadiness is required from Chelsea’s young wide players.

Disappointment mounted during last weekend’s 2-1 home defeat by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their highest of the campaign, 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 highest this season implies that their fundamental philosophy is being weaponised and turned on them.

This is not a recent issue. It was zero victories from the four league games in which Chelsea had their highest possession stats last season, emphasizing a flaw when Maresca’s quest for control is taken to the limit. The danger is drifting into sterile domination, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s expression. José Mourinho’s comment 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 produced their finest performance under the Italian and thrashed 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 give them opportunity? Chelsea exploited Postecoglou’s gung-ho tactics on their past two visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will undoubtedly be smarter. Is a shift to a five-man defense possible? Chelsea have allowed goals from three long throws this season. Spurs could have Kevin Danso chucking balls into the box. They will note that Chelsea have gotten better at offensive set pieces but are allowing too many chances.

Being so straightforward does not necessarily match Spurs’ history. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski missing, there is a heavy creative burden on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, courted by Chelsea last summer, has not made an impact since arriving from RB Leipzig. Spurs are one-dimensional in general play. Their forwards remain inconsistent.

But this is one game where the result may justify the method. Spurs fans will not complain if a defensive approach ends a four-game sequence of defeats against Chelsea. A win would ignite Frank’s tenure. How he would love to win this contest with Maresca.