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When Chelsea were seeking for a successor for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, several managers were in contention. It was an thorough process that saw the club engaging with Thomas Frank before they eventually chose Enzo Maresca.

The belief was that Maresca’s structured approach and priority on possession positioned him as the most suitable for Chelsea’s roster of technicians. Frank, who had excelled at Brentford, had to bide his time for his next chance. Passed over by Manchester United after they dismissed Erik ten Hag, his opportunity came when Tottenham appointed the Dane after firing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

Now, Frank and Maresca meet, both holding high-profile roles. Their relationship is not currently a established rivalry, but they shared some close encounters last season. Frank’s Brentford were unlucky to suffer a 2-1 loss at Stamford Bridge last December and created the superior chances when they drew 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two competitive games, made more fascinating by the tactical differences between the managers. Frank is considered a adaptable coach, more willing to be straightforward, play on the break, and wait for opportunities to unveil an variety of deadly set-piece routines, whereas Maresca tends towards ideological rigidity. The Italian hails from the Pep Guardiola school; he emphasizes dominance of the ball.

Chelsea’s possession average of 59.7% so far this campaign 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 best displays have come in games where they have relinquished the possession. They were outstanding with a five-man defense in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, executed an outstanding counterpress when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and dominated Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those performances suggest Spurs should sit back when they face Chelsea. Tottenham, it must be noted, have only one victory from their last seven home league games. The statistics are concerning. Spurs’ return of 13 points from their past 18 home fixtures is the lowest of any team to have been in the top flight during that timeframe.

This is a tricky game to predict. Spurs are five points off the summit and unbeaten in the Champions League. Chelsea are Club World Cup winners and advanced to 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 shortage of creativity when the onus is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s moan about their young side’s immaturity, lack of discipline, and struggles against low blocks.

The situation is that both managers are managing reasonably well. Chelsea could fall to 12th if they are defeated to Spurs, but there is mitigating circumstances to their mixed results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have taken a toll. A disrupted pre-season, due to the club going all the way at the Club World Cup, cannot be ignored.

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

Maresca was angry with Delap, who is banned for the visit to Spurs. But he is also pondering how to make his team more penetrative against low blocks. The goals have decreased for João Pedro, and more consistency is required from Chelsea’s young wide players.

Irritation built 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 back five confused Maresca. Régis Le Bris had done his homework. Data showing that it is one win from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its peak this season implies that their key approach is being used against them and turned on them.

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, highlighting a weakness when Maresca’s quest for control is taken to extremes. The risk is slipping into sterile domination, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s term. 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 finest performance under the Italian and thrashed PSG in the Club World Cup final. Variety is a advantage. Chelsea have a number of fast attackers and are exciting when they have space to attack.

Will Frank give them freedom? Chelsea took advantage of Postecoglou’s adventurous 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 allowed goals from three long throws this season. Spurs could have Kevin Danso chucking balls into the box. They will observe that Chelsea have gotten better 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 unavailable, there is a significant creative responsibility on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, targeted 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 ends may excuse the means. Spurs fans will not complain if a cautious approach halts a four-game winless streak against Chelsea. A win would boost Frank’s time in charge. How he would cherish to win this contest with Maresca.