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At the time Chelsea were searching for a successor for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, multiple managers were evaluated. This was an thorough process that involved the club holding talks with Thomas Frank before they eventually chose Enzo Maresca.

The belief was that Maresca’s structured approach and focus on possession positioned him as the most suitable for Chelsea’s roster of skilled players. Frank, who had excelled at Brentford, had to wait for his next chance. Not chosen by Manchester United after they dismissed Erik ten Hag, his moment came when Tottenham hired the Danish manager after firing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

Now, Frank and Maresca face each other, both holding high-profile roles. Their relationship is not yet a full-fledged rivalry, but they experienced some close duels last season. Frank’s Brentford were unfortunate to suffer a 2-1 loss at Stamford Bridge last December and had the better chances when they drew 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two engaging games, made more fascinating by the contrasting styles between the tacticians. Frank is more of a pragmatist, more inclined to be straightforward, play on the counter-attack, and wait for opportunities to unveil an variety of clinical set-piece routines, whereas Maresca tends towards a strict philosophy. The Italian comes from the Pep Guardiola school; he emphasizes dominance of the ball.

Chelsea’s average of 59.7% so far this campaign is topped only by Liverpool in the Premier League. Frank adapts his tactics more. Spurs are not inherently a defensive side – they are seventh in the possession standings, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is significant that their most impressive performances have come in games where they have ceded the control. They were superb with a back five in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, executed an exceptional pressing game when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and overwhelmed Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those experiences point to Spurs should sit back when they welcome Chelsea. Tottenham, it must be noted, have only one victory from their last seven home league games. The statistics are disappointing. Spurs’ record of 13 points from their past 18 home fixtures is the lowest 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 first place and unbeaten in the Champions League. Chelsea are world champions and reached 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 struggles against defensive setups.

The truth is that both managers are performing adequately. 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 taken a toll. A disrupted pre-season, resulting from the club competing deep at the Club World Cup, cannot be overlooked.

Yet, there is room for development, especially when it comes to keeping 11 players on the pitch. Liam Delap’s rash red card during Wednesday’s Carabao Cup victory 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 suspended for the trip to Spurs. But he is also pondering how to make his team more incisive against low blocks. The goals have dried up for João Pedro, and more consistency is necessary from Chelsea’s young wingers.

Disappointment mounted during last weekend’s 2-1 home defeat by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their highest of the campaign, but their expected goals was 0.97. Sunderland’s adjustment to a five-man defense flummoxed Maresca. Régis Le Bris had prepared well. Data revealing that it is one win from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its peak this season indicates that their core identity is being used against them and turned on them.

This is not a new issue. It was zero victories from the four league games in which Chelsea had their highest possession stats last season, emphasizing a vulnerability when Maresca’s pursuit for control is taken to extremes. The threat is drifting into sterile domination, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s expression. José Mourinho’s remark about the team with the ball having the worry also is relevant.

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

Will Frank allow them space? Chelsea punished Postecoglou’s gung-ho tactics on their past two trips to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will undoubtedly be smarter. Is a change to a five-man defense on the cards? Chelsea have conceded 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 offensive set pieces but are conceding too many chances.

Being so straightforward does not necessarily align with Spurs’ traditions. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski unavailable, there is a heavy creative responsibility on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, pursued by Chelsea last summer, has not performed to expectations since joining RB Leipzig. Spurs are predictable in open play. Their forwards remain inconsistent.

But this is one game where the result may validate the approach. Spurs fans will not complain if a cautious approach ends a four-game sequence of defeats against Chelsea. Success would boost Frank’s reign. How he would relish to win this battle with Maresca.