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

The belief was that Maresca’s structured approach and priority on possession made him the ideal candidate for Chelsea’s team of talented individuals. Frank, who had achieved great success at Brentford, had to remain patient for his next opportunity. Not chosen by Manchester United after they parted ways with Erik ten Hag, his moment arrived when Tottenham appointed the Danish manager after sacking Ange Postecoglou last summer.

At present, Frank and Maresca meet, both occupying major roles. Theirs is not currently a full-blown rivalry, but they shared some hard-fought encounters last season. Frank’s Brentford were unfortunate to suffer a 2-1 loss at Stamford Bridge last December and created the more clear-cut chances when they drew 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two engaging games, made more intriguing by the contrasting styles between the coaches. Frank is more of a adaptable coach, more willing to be straightforward, play on the counter-attack, and wait for chances to unveil an array of clinical set-piece plays, whereas Maresca veers towards ideological rigidity. The Italian comes from the Pep Guardiola philosophy; he emphasizes dominance of the ball.

Chelsea’s average of 59.7% so far this campaign is topped only by Liverpool in the Premier League. Frank mixes it up more. Spurs are not naturally a defensively-minded side – they are ranked seventh in the possession standings, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is notable that their best 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 impressive pressing game when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and overwhelmed Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those experiences point to 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 numbers 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 during that timeframe.

This is a difficult game to read. Spurs are five points off the summit and undefeated in the Champions League. Chelsea are world champions and reached the last eight of the Carabao Cup this week. Nevertheless, fans of both sides remain unconvinced about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have expressed frustration about a shortage of creativity when the onus is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s moan about their young side’s inexperience, lack of discipline, and struggles against low blocks.

The situation is that both managers are performing adequately. Chelsea could drop to 12th if they are defeated to Spurs, but there is context to their mixed results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have taken a toll. A interrupted pre-season, resulting from the club reaching the final at the Club World Cup, cannot be ignored.

Still, there is scope for improvement, especially when it comes to keeping 11 players on the pitch. Liam Delap’s ludicrous red card 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 angry with Delap, who is suspended for the trip to Spurs. But he is also thinking about how to make his team more effective against defensive teams. The goals have dried up for João Pedro, and more consistency is required from Chelsea’s young wide players.

Irritation built during last weekend’s 2-1 home loss by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their maximum of the season, but their expected goals was 0.97. Sunderland’s adjustment to a five-man defense flummoxed Maresca. Régis Le Bris had studied his opponent. Numbers showing that it is only one victory from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its peak this season suggests that their core identity 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, underscoring a vulnerability when Maresca’s quest for control is taken to the limit. The danger is drifting into unproductive possession, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s expression. José Mourinho’s line about the team with the ball having the worry also applies here.

Maresca differs in opinion, but it is worth recalling that Chelsea had 33.5% possession when they put in their finest performance under the Italian and thrashed PSG in the Club World Cup final. Flexibility is a strength. Chelsea have a number of fast attackers and are dynamic when they have room to attack.

Will Frank grant them opportunity? Chelsea took advantage of Postecoglou’s gung-ho tactics on their past two trips to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will certainly be smarter. Is a shift to a back five likely? Chelsea have allowed goals from three long throws this season. Spurs could have Kevin Danso chucking balls into the box. They will take into account that Chelsea have gotten better at offensive set pieces but are conceding too many chances.

Being so direct does not necessarily align with Spurs’ style. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski missing, there is a heavy creative responsibility on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, courted by Chelsea last summer, has not made an impact since arriving from RB Leipzig. Spurs are lacking variety in from open situations. Their forwards remain inconsistent.

But this is one game where the result may justify the approach. Spurs fans will not complain if a defensive approach halts a four-game sequence of defeats against Chelsea. Success would ignite Frank’s reign. How he would relish to win this contest with Maresca.