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

The opinion was that Maresca’s structured approach and focus on possession positioned him as the ideal candidate for Chelsea’s squad of talented individuals. Frank, who had achieved great success at Brentford, had to remain patient for his next chance. Not chosen by Manchester United after they dismissed Erik ten Hag, his opportunity arrived when Tottenham hired the Danish manager after firing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

At present, Frank and Maresca face each other, both occupying major roles. Their relationship is not yet a full-fledged rivalry, but they had some hard-fought matches last season. Frank’s Brentford were unfortunate to suffer a 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge last December and created the better chances when they tied 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two engaging games, made more interesting by the divergent approaches between the tacticians. Frank is considered a pragmatist, more likely to be straightforward, play on the break, and wait for chances to deploy an variety of effective set-piece plays, whereas Maresca tends towards ideological rigidity. The Italian is a product of the Pep Guardiola coaching tree; he values 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 adapts his tactics more. Spurs are not instinctively a defensively-minded 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 surrendered the possession. They were outstanding with a five-man defense in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, implemented an outstanding pressing game when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and overwhelmed Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those experiences suggest Spurs ought to sit back when they welcome Chelsea. Tottenham, after all, have only one victory from their last seven home league games. The figures are disappointing. Spurs’ return 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 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 last eight of the Carabao Cup this week. Yet, fans of both sides remain doubtful about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have grumbled about a lack of creativity when the responsibility is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s complain about their young side’s inexperience, indiscipline, and toils 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 had an impact. A interrupted pre-season, due to the club competing deep at the Club World Cup, cannot be dismissed.

Yet, there is scope for improvement, especially when it comes to keeping 11 players on the pitch. Liam Delap’s rash dismissal during Wednesday’s Carabao Cup victory against Wolves was Chelsea’s sixth red card in nine games, including Maresca’s banishment from the dugout 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 defensive teams. The goals have slowed down for João Pedro, and more consistency 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 season, but their expected goals was 0.97. Sunderland’s switch to a five-man defense baffled Maresca. Régis Le Bris had prepared well. Data indicating 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 used to their disadvantage.

This is not a recent issue. It was zero victories from the four league games in which Chelsea had their most possession last season, emphasizing a weakness when Maresca’s quest for control is taken to extremes. The danger is slipping into ineffective control, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s phrase. José Mourinho’s comment about the team with the ball having the worry also applies here.

Maresca contests this view, but it is worth noting that Chelsea had 33.5% possession when they delivered their best performance under the Italian and thrashed PSG in the Club World Cup final. Variety is a positive attribute. Chelsea have several fast attackers and are pulsating when they have room to attack.

Will Frank give them space? Chelsea exploited Postecoglou’s adventurous tactics on their last two trips to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will surely be more strategic. Is a shift to a back five likely? 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 offensive set pieces but are conceding too many chances.

Being so direct does not necessarily match Spurs’ history. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski absent, there is a considerable creative burden on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, courted by Chelsea last summer, has not made an impact since arriving from RB Leipzig. Spurs are one-dimensional in open play. Their forwards remain inconsistent.

But this is one game where the ends may excuse the approach. Spurs fans will not object if a cautious approach breaks a four-game winless streak against Chelsea. A win would energize Frank’s time in charge. How he would relish to win this contest with Maresca.