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When Chelsea were seeking for a replacement for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, multiple managers were evaluated. It was an thorough process that saw the club holding talks with Thomas Frank before they finally chose Enzo Maresca.

The belief was that Maresca’s structured approach and priority on possession made him the ideal candidate for Chelsea’s roster of skilled players. Frank, who had achieved great success at Brentford, had to wait for his next opportunity. Overlooked by Manchester United after they dismissed Erik ten Hag, his opportunity came when Tottenham hired the Danish manager after firing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

Currently, Frank and Maresca face each other, both in prestigious roles. Theirs is not currently a established rivalry, but they experienced some close encounters last season. Frank’s Brentford were unfortunate to endure a 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge last December and had the superior chances when they drew 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two engaging games, made more interesting by the contrasting styles between the coaches. Frank is considered a practical manager, more inclined to be straightforward, play on the break, and wait for opportunities to deploy an range of clinical set-piece routines, whereas Maresca leans towards ideological rigidity. The Italian comes from the Pep Guardiola school; he values dominance of the ball.

Chelsea’s possession 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 rankings, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is significant that their strongest showings have come in games where they have ceded the possession. They were outstanding with a back five in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, executed an outstanding counterpress when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and dominated Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those experiences suggest Spurs might adopt a defensive approach when they welcome Chelsea. Tottenham, it must be noted, have only one victory from their past seven home league games. The figures are concerning. Spurs’ record of 13 points from their last 18 home fixtures is the worst of any team to have been in the top flight throughout that period.

This is a hard game to predict. Spurs are five points off first place and unbeaten in the Champions League. Chelsea are world champions and reached the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup this week. Nevertheless, fans of both sides remain doubtful about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have expressed frustration about a shortage of creativity when the responsibility is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s moan about their young side’s immaturity, lack of discipline, and difficulties against low blocks.

The situation is that both managers are performing adequately. Chelsea could fall to 12th if they are defeated to Spurs, but there is mitigating circumstances to their indifferent results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have been costly. A disrupted pre-season, resulting from the club reaching the final at the Club World Cup, cannot be dismissed.

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

Maresca was angry with Delap, who is banned for the fixture to Spurs. But he is also considering how to make his team more incisive against defensive teams. The goals have decreased for João Pedro, and more reliability is necessary from Chelsea’s young attacking midfielders.

Irritation grew during last weekend’s 2-1 home loss 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 confused Maresca. Régis Le Bris had studied his opponent. Statistics showing that it is one win from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its maximum this season indicates that their key approach is being used against them and used to their disadvantage.

This is not a recent issue. It was zero victories from the four league games in which Chelsea had their highest possession stats last season, emphasizing a vulnerability when Maresca’s quest for control is taken to the limit. The danger is slipping into unproductive possession, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s phrase. José Mourinho’s line about the team with the ball having the worry also applies here.

Maresca differs in opinion, but it is worth noting that Chelsea had 33.5% possession when they put in their most impressive performance under the Italian and decisively beat PSG in the Club World Cup final. Adaptability is a strength. Chelsea have a number of fast attackers and are exciting when they have space to attack.

Will Frank grant them freedom? Chelsea punished Postecoglou’s gung-ho tactics on their last two visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will undoubtedly be smarter. Is a switch to a five-man defense on the cards? Chelsea have conceded from three long throws this season. Spurs could have Kevin Danso throwing balls into the box. They will take into account that Chelsea have improved at attacking set pieces but are conceding too many chances.

Being so straightforward does not necessarily align with Spurs’ traditions. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski missing, there is a significant creative responsibility on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, courted by Chelsea last summer, has not done enough since joining RB Leipzig. Spurs are predictable in from open situations. Their forwards remain inconsistent.

But this is one game where the outcome may validate the approach. Spurs fans will not object if a defensive approach halts a four-game losing run against Chelsea. Success would ignite Frank’s tenure. How he would cherish to win this duel with Maresca.