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When Chelsea were looking for a successor for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, a number of managers were considered. This was an thorough process that involved the club holding talks with Thomas Frank before they ultimately selected Enzo Maresca.

The belief was that Maresca’s tactical system and focus on possession positioned him as the best fit for Chelsea’s squad of technicians. Frank, who had excelled at Brentford, had to wait for his big break. Passed over by Manchester United after they dismissed Erik ten Hag, his moment came when Tottenham hired the Dane after firing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

At present, Frank and Maresca meet, both occupying major roles. Their relationship is not yet a full-blown rivalry, but they experienced some tight duels 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 tactical differences between the tacticians. Frank is considered a practical manager, more likely to be straightforward, play on the break, and wait for opportunities to deploy an variety of deadly set-piece strategies, whereas Maresca leans towards dogmatism. The Italian hails from the Pep Guardiola philosophy; 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 naturally a defensively-minded side – they are seventh in the possession standings, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is telling that their most impressive displays have come in games where they have ceded the possession. They were superb with a back five in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, implemented an exceptional pressing game when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and overwhelmed Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those experiences indicate Spurs might adopt a defensive approach when they face Chelsea. Tottenham, it must be noted, have one win from their last seven home league games. The statistics are disappointing. Spurs’ return of 13 points from their past 18 home matches is the poorest of any team to have been in the top flight during that timeframe.

This is a difficult game to predict. Spurs are five points off first place and undefeated in the Champions League. Chelsea are Club World Cup winners and reached the last eight of the Carabao Cup this week. However, fans of both sides remain doubtful about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have grumbled about a shortage of creativity when the onus is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s complain about their young side’s inexperience, lack of discipline, and toils against defensive setups.

The truth is that both managers are managing reasonably well. Chelsea could fall to 12th if they lose to Spurs, but there is mitigating circumstances to their inconsistent results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have been costly. A disrupted pre-season, caused by the club going all the way at the Club World Cup, cannot be dismissed.

Yet, there is potential for progress, especially when it comes to maintaining 11 players on the pitch. Liam Delap’s unnecessary red card 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 fixture to Spurs. But he is also thinking about how to make his team more effective against low blocks. The goals have slowed down for João Pedro, and more reliability is required from Chelsea’s young attacking midfielders.

Disappointment grew 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 change to a five-man defense confused Maresca. Régis Le Bris had prepared well. Data showing that it is one win from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its highest this season indicates that their core identity 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 most possession last season, highlighting a weakness when Maresca’s drive for control is taken to the limit. The threat is falling into ineffective control, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s term. José Mourinho’s line about the team with the ball having the anxiety also applies here.

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

Will Frank allow them opportunity? Chelsea exploited Postecoglou’s adventurous tactics on their past two trips to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will certainly be smarter. Is a switch to a back five possible? 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 gotten better at attacking set pieces but are allowing too many chances.

Being so direct does not necessarily match Spurs’ traditions. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski absent, there is a considerable creative burden on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, pursued by Chelsea last summer, has not performed to expectations since joining RB Leipzig. Spurs are one-dimensional in from open situations. Their forwards remain inconsistent.

But this is one game where the ends may justify the method. Spurs fans will not complain if a defensive approach halts a four-game losing run against Chelsea. A win would boost Frank’s time in charge. How he would relish to win this duel with Maresca.