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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. This was an thorough process that involved the club engaging with Thomas Frank before they ultimately selected Enzo Maresca.

The opinion was that Maresca’s structured approach and focus on possession positioned him as the best fit for Chelsea’s roster of technicians. Frank, who had excelled at Brentford, had to bide his time for his next opportunity. Passed over by Manchester United after they let go of Erik ten Hag, his opportunity came when Tottenham appointed the Danish manager after replacing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

At present, Frank and Maresca meet, both in major roles. Theirs is not currently a established rivalry, but they experienced some hard-fought duels last season. Frank’s Brentford were unfortunate to endure a 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge last December and had the more clear-cut chances when they drew 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two decent games, made more interesting by the contrasting styles between the managers. Frank is more of a pragmatist, more inclined to be direct, play on the break, and wait for chances to deploy an variety of deadly set-piece routines, whereas Maresca veers towards dogmatism. The Italian is a product of the Pep Guardiola philosophy; he prizes 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 instinctively a defensively-minded side – they are seventh in the possession rankings, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is significant that their strongest displays have come in games where they have surrendered the initiative. They were superb with a back five in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, executed an impressive counterpress when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and destroyed Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those results point to Spurs ought to play on the counter when they host Chelsea. Tottenham, it must be noted, have one win from their last seven home league games. The statistics are awful. Spurs’ record of 13 points from their past 18 home fixtures is the lowest of any team to have been in the top flight throughout that period.

This is a hard game to call. Spurs are five points off first place 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 expressed frustration about a lack of creativity when the pressure is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s moan about their young side’s immaturity, indiscipline, and difficulties against defensive setups.

The situation is that both managers are performing adequately. Chelsea could fall to 12th if they lose to Spurs, but there is background to their mixed results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have taken a toll. A disrupted pre-season, due to the club competing deep at the Club World Cup, cannot be overlooked.

However, there is room for development, especially when it comes to maintaining 11 players on the pitch. Liam Delap’s unnecessary red card during Wednesday’s Carabao Cup success against Wolves was Chelsea’s sixth 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 fixture to Spurs. But he is also considering how to make his team more incisive against low blocks. The goals have decreased for João Pedro, and more reliability is required from Chelsea’s young wingers.

Frustration grew during last weekend’s 2-1 home defeat by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their maximum of the campaign, but their expected goals was 0.97. Sunderland’s adjustment to a back five flummoxed Maresca. Régis Le Bris had studied his opponent. Data showing that it is one win from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its peak this season suggests that their key approach 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 highest possession stats last season, emphasizing a flaw when Maresca’s pursuit for control is taken to extremes. The threat is falling into ineffective control, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s phrase. José Mourinho’s remark about the team with the ball having the anxiety also is relevant.

Maresca differs in opinion, but it is worth recalling 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 strength. Chelsea have several fast attackers and are pulsating when they have room 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 surely be more cautious. Is a shift to a five-man defense likely? 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 gotten better at offensive set pieces but are allowing too many chances.

Being so long-ball oriented does not necessarily match Spurs’ traditions. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski unavailable, there is a considerable creative load 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 result may justify the means. Spurs fans will not mind if a defensive approach ends a four-game losing run against Chelsea. A win would energize Frank’s time in charge. How he would cherish to win this battle with Maresca.