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At the time Chelsea were seeking for a successor for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, several managers were in contention. This was an thorough process that saw the club holding talks with Thomas Frank before they ultimately opted for Enzo Maresca.

The feeling was that Maresca’s positional game and priority on possession made him the best fit for Chelsea’s squad of skilled players. Frank, who had achieved great success at Brentford, had to remain patient for his next opportunity. Passed over by Manchester United after they dismissed Erik ten Hag, his break came when Tottenham hired the Dane after replacing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

Now, Frank and Maresca meet, both occupying major roles. Theirs is not currently a full-blown 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 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 divergent approaches between the managers. Frank is considered a adaptable coach, more likely to be direct, play on the break, and wait for chances to deploy an array of clinical set-piece routines, whereas Maresca veers towards a strict philosophy. The Italian is a product of the Pep Guardiola school; he values dominance of the ball.

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

Those results suggest Spurs should play on the counter when they welcome Chelsea. Tottenham, after all, have only one victory from their last seven home league games. The numbers are disappointing. Spurs’ record of 13 points from their last 18 home outings is the lowest of any team to have been in the top flight throughout that timeframe.

This is a hard 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. Nevertheless, fans of both sides remain skeptical about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have grumbled about a absence of creativity when the responsibility is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s lament about their young side’s immaturity, indiscipline, and difficulties against low blocks.

The reality is that both managers are doing fine. Chelsea could drop to 12th if they are defeated to Spurs, but there is context to their indifferent 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 ignored.

However, there is scope for progress, especially when it comes to maintaining 11 players on the pitch. Liam Delap’s rash dismissal during Wednesday’s Carabao Cup win against Wolves was Chelsea’s sixth red card in nine games, including Maresca’s removal from the dugout during the win over Liverpool.

Maresca was furious with Delap, who is suspended for the trip to Spurs. But he is also considering how to make his team more effective against low blocks. The goals have slowed down for João Pedro, and more reliability is necessary from Chelsea’s young attacking midfielders.

Irritation grew during last weekend’s 2-1 home defeat by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their highest of the campaign, but their xG was 0.97. Sunderland’s switch to a five-man defense baffled Maresca. Régis Le Bris had prepared well. Data revealing that it is only one victory from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its maximum this season suggests that their key approach is being weaponised and turned on them.

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

Maresca disagrees, but it is worth remembering that Chelsea had 33.5% possession when they produced their finest performance under the Italian and decisively beat PSG in the Club World Cup final. Adaptability is a positive attribute. Chelsea have plenty of fast attackers and are exciting when they have space 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 surely be smarter. Is a switch to a five-man defense likely? Chelsea have allowed goals from three long throws this season. Spurs could have Kevin Danso launching balls into the box. They will note that Chelsea have improved at offensive set pieces but are allowing too many chances.

Being so direct does not necessarily fit with Spurs’ style. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski absent, there is a significant creative burden on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, targeted by Chelsea last summer, has not performed to expectations since arriving from RB Leipzig. Spurs are predictable in general play. Their forwards remain inconsistent.

But this is one game where the outcome may justify the approach. Spurs fans will not mind if a cautious approach halts a four-game losing run against Chelsea. A win would boost Frank’s reign. How he would cherish to win this battle with Maresca.