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At the time Chelsea were looking for a successor for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, several managers were considered. It was an thorough process that saw the club engaging with Thomas Frank before they ultimately chose Enzo Maresca.

The opinion was that Maresca’s structured approach and focus on possession rendered him the most suitable for Chelsea’s team of talented individuals. Frank, who had performed brilliantly at Brentford, had to bide his time for his next chance. Not chosen by Manchester United after they dismissed Erik ten Hag, his opportunity arrived when Tottenham brought in the Dane after firing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

At present, Frank and Maresca meet, both occupying high-profile roles. Theirs is not currently a full-fledged rivalry, but they shared some tight duels last season. Frank’s Brentford were unlucky to suffer a 2-1 loss at Stamford Bridge last December and created the more clear-cut chances when they tied 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two competitive games, made more fascinating by the tactical differences between the tacticians. Frank is more of a practical manager, more likely to be direct, play on the break, and wait for opportunities to deploy an variety of deadly set-piece strategies, whereas Maresca tends towards a strict philosophy. The Italian comes from the Pep Guardiola coaching tree; he emphasizes dominance of the ball.

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

Those performances point to Spurs ought to adopt a defensive approach when they welcome Chelsea. Tottenham, after all, have only one victory from their last seven home league games. The statistics are awful. Spurs’ return of 13 points from their last 18 home matches is the lowest of any team to have been in the top flight during that period.

This is a tricky game to call. Spurs are five points off the summit and undefeated in the Champions League. Chelsea are Club World Cup winners and reached the last eight of the Carabao Cup this week. Yet, fans of both sides remain unconvinced about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have expressed frustration about a lack of creativity when the pressure is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s complain about their young side’s inexperience, indiscipline, and struggles against defensive setups.

The reality is that both managers are doing fine. Chelsea could fall to 12th if they lose to Spurs, but there is context to their mixed results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have had an impact. A interrupted pre-season, due to the club reaching the final at the Club World Cup, cannot be overlooked.

Still, there is room for development, especially when it comes to maintaining 11 players on the pitch. Liam Delap’s unnecessary dismissal during Wednesday’s Carabao Cup win against Wolves was Chelsea’s sixth such red card in nine games, including Maresca’s removal from the touchline during the win over Liverpool.

Maresca was angry with Delap, who is banned for the trip to Spurs. But he is also pondering how to make his team more effective against defensive teams. The goals have decreased for João Pedro, and more consistency is required from Chelsea’s young wingers.

Frustration built during last weekend’s 2-1 home loss by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their peak of the season, but their xG was 0.97. Sunderland’s change to a back five baffled Maresca. Régis Le Bris had done his homework. Data revealing that it is one win from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its peak this season implies that their core identity 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 most possession last season, emphasizing a weakness when Maresca’s quest for control is taken to extremes. The risk is slipping into sterile domination, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s phrase. José Mourinho’s comment about the team with the ball having the worry also is relevant.

Maresca disagrees, but it is worth recalling that Chelsea had 33.5% possession when they produced their most impressive performance under the Italian and thrashed PSG in the Club World Cup final. Adaptability is a advantage. Chelsea have several fast attackers and are exciting when they have room to attack.

Will Frank grant them space? Chelsea took advantage of Postecoglou’s gung-ho tactics on their last two trips to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will undoubtedly be more strategic. Is a change to a five-man defense on the cards? Chelsea have conceded from three long throws this season. Spurs could have Kevin Danso launching balls into the box. They will observe that Chelsea have improved at attacking set pieces but are conceding too many chances.

Being so direct does not necessarily fit with Spurs’ traditions. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski missing, there is a significant creative responsibility on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, pursued by Chelsea last summer, has not made an impact since arriving from RB Leipzig. Spurs are one-dimensional in from open situations. Their forwards remain erratic.

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