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When Chelsea were looking for a replacement for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, several managers were in contention. It was an comprehensive process that involved the club holding talks with Thomas Frank before they finally opted for Enzo Maresca.

The belief was that Maresca’s positional game and focus on possession rendered him the ideal candidate for Chelsea’s squad of talented individuals. Frank, who had achieved great success at Brentford, had to wait for his big break. Not chosen by Manchester United after they parted ways with Erik ten Hag, his break arrived when Tottenham brought in the Dane after replacing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

Now, Frank and Maresca confront one another, both occupying prestigious roles. Their relationship is not yet a established rivalry, but they shared some hard-fought encounters last season. Frank’s Brentford were unlucky to endure 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 engaging games, made more intriguing by the divergent approaches between the managers. Frank is considered a practical manager, more willing to be straightforward, play on the break, and wait for opportunities to deploy an variety of effective set-piece strategies, whereas Maresca leans towards a strict philosophy. The Italian hails from the Pep Guardiola coaching tree; he values dominance of the ball.

Chelsea’s possession average of 59.7% this season is bettered only by Liverpool in the Premier League. Frank varies his approach more. Spurs are not inherently a defensive side – they are ranked seventh in the possession rankings, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is telling that their strongest performances have come in games where they have relinquished the control. They were outstanding 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 performances indicate Spurs might play on the counter when they face Chelsea. Tottenham, it must be noted, have one win from their past seven home league games. The numbers are disappointing. Spurs’ return of 13 points from their past 18 home matches is the worst of any team to have been in the top flight during that timeframe.

This is a hard game to call. Spurs are five points off the top and unbeaten in the Champions League. Chelsea are Club World Cup winners and reached the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup this week. Nevertheless, fans of both sides remain skeptical about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have expressed frustration about a absence of creativity when the pressure is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s lament about their young side’s immaturity, indiscipline, and struggles 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 background to their indifferent results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have had an impact. A disrupted pre-season, caused by the club going all the way at the Club World Cup, cannot be overlooked.

However, there is room for development, especially when it comes to keeping 11 players on the pitch. Liam Delap’s ludicrous dismissal during Wednesday’s Carabao Cup victory against Wolves was Chelsea’s sixth red card in nine games, including Maresca’s banishment from the technical area during the win over Liverpool.

Maresca was displeased with Delap, who is banned for the fixture to Spurs. But he is also pondering how to make his team more incisive against defensive teams. The goals have decreased for João Pedro, and more consistency is required from Chelsea’s young wingers.

Irritation grew during last weekend’s 2-1 home loss by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their peak of the season, but their expected goals was 0.97. Sunderland’s change to a back five confused Maresca. Régis Le Bris had done his homework. Data indicating 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 used to their disadvantage.

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 flaw when Maresca’s quest for control is taken to extremes. The danger is drifting into unproductive possession, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s term. José Mourinho’s line about the team with the ball having the worry also comes to mind.

Maresca disagrees, but it is worth noting that Chelsea had 33.5% possession when they produced their finest performance under the Italian and decisively beat PSG in the Club World Cup final. Variety is a strength. Chelsea have plenty of fast attackers and are pulsating when they have space to attack.

Will Frank allow them opportunity? Chelsea took advantage of Postecoglou’s gung-ho tactics on their last two trips to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will undoubtedly be more strategic. Is a change to a back five possible? Chelsea have conceded from three long throws this season. Spurs could have Kevin Danso launching balls into the box. They will take into account that Chelsea have improved at attacking set pieces but are conceding too many chances.

Being so direct does not necessarily fit with Spurs’ history. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski missing, there is a considerable creative responsibility on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, targeted by Chelsea last summer, has not done enough since joining RB Leipzig. Spurs are predictable in from open situations. Their forwards remain inconsistent.

But this is one game where the ends may validate the approach. Spurs fans will not mind if a defensive approach ends a four-game losing run against Chelsea. Success would energize Frank’s time in charge. How he would love to win this battle with Maresca.