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

The belief was that Maresca’s structured approach and emphasis on possession positioned him as the ideal candidate for Chelsea’s roster of talented individuals. Frank, who had excelled at Brentford, had to bide his time for his next opportunity. Overlooked by Manchester United after they dismissed Erik ten Hag, his moment came when Tottenham appointed the Danish manager after sacking Ange Postecoglou last summer.

At present, Frank and Maresca meet, both in high-profile roles. Theirs is not yet a full-fledged rivalry, but they had some close encounters last season. Frank’s Brentford were unlucky to endure a 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge last December and had the superior chances when they drew 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two competitive games, made more interesting by the contrasting styles between the managers. Frank is considered a pragmatist, more inclined to be straightforward, play on the break, and wait for chances to deploy an variety of deadly set-piece plays, whereas Maresca veers towards dogmatism. The Italian comes from the Pep Guardiola coaching tree; he prizes dominance of the ball.

Chelsea’s 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 inherently a defensive side – they are seventh in the possession table, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is telling that their most impressive showings have come in games where they have relinquished the possession. They were superb with a back five in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, executed an exceptional counterpress when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and dominated Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those experiences indicate Spurs ought to adopt a defensive approach when they face Chelsea. Tottenham, after all, have only one victory from their last seven home league games. The numbers are concerning. Spurs’ return of 13 points from their last 18 home matches is the poorest of any team to have been in the top flight throughout that timeframe.

This is a tricky game to read. Spurs are five points off the summit and undefeated in the Champions League. Chelsea are world champions and advanced to the last eight of the Carabao Cup this week. Yet, fans of both sides remain unconvinced about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have grumbled about a absence of creativity when the responsibility is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s complain about their young side’s immaturity, lack of discipline, and struggles against defensive setups.

The truth is that both managers are doing fine. Chelsea could fall to 12th if they are defeated to Spurs, but there is context to their inconsistent results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have taken a toll. A disrupted pre-season, resulting from the club going all the way at the Club World Cup, cannot be ignored.

Still, there is scope for progress, especially when it comes to keeping 11 players on the pitch. Liam Delap’s unnecessary red card during Wednesday’s Carabao Cup win 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 banned for the trip to Spurs. But he is also considering how to make his team more penetrative against low blocks. The goals have slowed down for João Pedro, and more consistency is needed from Chelsea’s young wide players.

Irritation 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. Numbers showing that it is one win from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its maximum this season suggests that their key approach is being exploited and used to their disadvantage.

This is not a new issue. It was no wins from the four league games in which Chelsea had their highest possession stats last season, emphasizing a weakness when Maresca’s pursuit for control is taken to extremes. The danger is slipping into sterile domination, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s expression. José Mourinho’s comment about the team with the ball having the fear also applies here.

Maresca differs in opinion, but it is worth recalling that Chelsea had 33.5% possession when they produced their most impressive performance under the Italian and routed PSG in the Club World Cup final. Adaptability is a strength. Chelsea have a number of fast attackers and are exciting when they have room to attack.

Will Frank allow them space? Chelsea exploited Postecoglou’s gung-ho tactics on their last two trips to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will undoubtedly be more cautious. Is a shift to a back five on the cards? Chelsea have conceded from three long throws this season. Spurs could have Kevin Danso chucking balls into the box. They will note that Chelsea have improved at offensive 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 absent, there is a significant creative responsibility on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, courted by Chelsea last summer, has not performed to expectations since arriving from RB Leipzig. Spurs are one-dimensional in open play. Their forwards remain unreliable.

But this is one game where the ends may excuse the approach. Spurs fans will not object if a cautious approach halts a four-game sequence of defeats against Chelsea. A win would energize Frank’s tenure. How he would love to win this contest with Maresca.