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At the time Chelsea were searching for a successor for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, a number of managers were in contention. It was an extensive process that involved the club engaging with Thomas Frank before they eventually chose Enzo Maresca.

The belief was that Maresca’s structured approach and focus on possession positioned him as the ideal candidate for Chelsea’s team of talented individuals. Frank, who had performed brilliantly at Brentford, had to wait for his big break. Not chosen by Manchester United after they parted ways with Erik ten Hag, his moment arrived when Tottenham hired the Dane after firing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

Currently, Frank and Maresca confront one another, both holding major roles. Their relationship is not yet a full-blown rivalry, but they experienced some tight encounters last season. Frank’s Brentford were unfortunate to suffer a 2-1 loss at Stamford Bridge last December and had the more clear-cut chances when they tied 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two engaging games, made more fascinating by the tactical differences between the managers. Frank is more of a practical manager, more inclined to be straightforward, play on the break, and wait for opportunities to unveil an variety of effective set-piece plays, whereas Maresca tends towards a strict philosophy. The Italian is a product of 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 adapts his tactics more. Spurs are not naturally a defensive side – they are ranked seventh in the possession table, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is significant that their most impressive displays have come in games where they have ceded the control. They were outstanding with a defensive setup in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, executed an exceptional pressing game when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and dominated Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those performances point to Spurs ought to sit back when they welcome Chelsea. Tottenham, after all, have only one victory from their last seven home league games. The numbers are concerning. Spurs’ return of 13 points from their past 18 home fixtures is the poorest of any team to have been in the top flight during that timeframe.

This is a tricky game to read. Spurs are five points off the top and undefeated in the Champions League. Chelsea are world champions and reached 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 lack of creativity when the pressure is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s complain about their young side’s immaturity, lack of discipline, and toils against low blocks.

The truth is that both managers are doing fine. 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 disrupted pre-season, due to the club reaching the final at the Club World Cup, cannot be ignored.

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

Maresca was furious with Delap, who is banned for the visit to Spurs. But he is also pondering how to make his team more incisive against low blocks. The goals have decreased for João Pedro, and more steadiness 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 peak of the campaign, but their expected goals was 0.97. Sunderland’s switch to a back five flummoxed Maresca. Régis Le Bris had prepared well. Numbers showing that it is one win from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its peak this season indicates that their fundamental philosophy is being exploited and used to their disadvantage.

This is not a recent issue. It was no wins from the four league games in which Chelsea had their highest possession stats last season, highlighting a vulnerability when Maresca’s pursuit for control is taken to extremes. The danger is falling into sterile domination, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s term. José Mourinho’s line about the team with the ball having the anxiety also applies here.

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

Will Frank give them freedom? Chelsea took advantage of Postecoglou’s attacking tactics on their past two visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will certainly be smarter. Is a change to a back five possible? Chelsea have conceded from three long throws this season. Spurs could have Kevin Danso throwing balls into the box. They will observe that Chelsea have gotten better at offensive set pieces but are allowing too many chances.

Being so direct does not necessarily align with Spurs’ traditions. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski unavailable, there is a heavy creative load 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 open play. Their forwards remain unreliable.

But this is one game where the outcome may justify the method. Spurs fans will not mind if a pragmatic approach halts a four-game losing run against Chelsea. Victory would energize Frank’s tenure. How he would cherish to win this contest with Maresca.