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At the time Chelsea were looking for a replacement for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, a number of managers were in contention. This was an thorough process that involved the club engaging with Thomas Frank before they ultimately selected Enzo Maresca.

The opinion was that Maresca’s structured approach and emphasis on possession made him the best fit for Chelsea’s team of skilled players. Frank, who had achieved great success at Brentford, had to wait for his next chance. Overlooked by Manchester United after they dismissed Erik ten Hag, his break came when Tottenham appointed the Danish manager after sacking Ange Postecoglou last summer.

At present, Frank and Maresca confront one another, both in major roles. Theirs is not yet a established rivalry, but they experienced some tight matches last season. Frank’s Brentford were unfortunate to endure a 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge last December and had the better chances when they tied 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two engaging games, made more intriguing by the tactical differences between the managers. Frank is more of a practical manager, more inclined to be direct, play on the break, and wait for chances to execute an range of clinical set-piece routines, whereas Maresca leans towards dogmatism. The Italian hails from the Pep Guardiola coaching tree; he prizes control of the ball.

Chelsea’s possession average of 59.7% so far this campaign is bettered only by Liverpool in the Premier League. Frank mixes it up more. Spurs are not instinctively a defensively-minded side – they are seventh in the possession table, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is significant that their strongest displays have come in games where they have relinquished the control. They were outstanding with a five-man defense in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, implemented an exceptional counterpress when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and destroyed Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those results indicate Spurs might play on the counter when they host Chelsea. Tottenham, after all, have one win from their last seven home league games. The statistics are disappointing. 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 period.

This is a hard game to predict. Spurs are five points off first place and undefeated in the Champions League. Chelsea are world champions and reached the last eight of the Carabao Cup this week. However, fans of both sides remain skeptical about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have expressed frustration about a lack of creativity when the onus is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s complain about their young side’s immaturity, indiscipline, and difficulties against low blocks.

The situation is that both managers are managing reasonably well. Chelsea could slip to 12th if they are defeated to Spurs, but there is context to their mixed results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have had an impact. A disrupted pre-season, due to the club competing deep at the Club World Cup, cannot be overlooked.

Yet, there is potential for improvement, especially when it comes to maintaining 11 players on the pitch. Liam Delap’s unnecessary sending off during Wednesday’s Carabao Cup win against Wolves was Chelsea’s sixth red card in nine games, including Maresca’s dismissal from the technical area during the win over Liverpool.

Maresca was furious with Delap, who is banned for the visit to Spurs. But he is also considering how to make his team more penetrative against defensive teams. The goals have slowed down for João Pedro, and more reliability is required from Chelsea’s young attacking midfielders.

Irritation mounted during last weekend’s 2-1 home loss by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their highest of the campaign, but their expected goals was 0.97. Sunderland’s switch to a back five baffled Maresca. Régis Le Bris had done his homework. Data revealing that it is only one victory from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its highest this season suggests that their key approach is being exploited and turned on them.

This is not a recent issue. It was no wins from the four league games in which Chelsea had their highest possession stats last season, underscoring a weakness when Maresca’s quest for control is taken to the limit. The danger is falling into unproductive possession, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s phrase. José Mourinho’s comment about the team with the ball having the worry also applies here.

Maresca differs in opinion, but it is worth noting 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 advantage. Chelsea have a number of fast attackers and are dynamic when they have room to attack.

Will Frank give them space? Chelsea punished Postecoglou’s gung-ho tactics on their last two visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will certainly be smarter. Is a shift to a back five possible? Chelsea have conceded from three long throws this season. Spurs could have Kevin Danso throwing balls into the box. They will observe that Chelsea have improved at attacking set pieces but are conceding too many chances.

Being so long-ball oriented does not necessarily fit with Spurs’ traditions. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski absent, there is a considerable creative load on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, pursued by Chelsea last summer, has not made an impact since joining RB Leipzig. Spurs are one-dimensional in from open situations. Their forwards remain inconsistent.

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