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When Chelsea were looking for a replacement for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, multiple managers were in contention. This was an thorough process that involved the club holding talks with Thomas Frank before they ultimately opted for Enzo Maresca.

The belief was that Maresca’s structured approach and emphasis on possession made him the best fit for Chelsea’s squad 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 break came when Tottenham brought in the Dane after sacking Ange Postecoglou last summer.

Currently, Frank and Maresca meet, both holding major roles. Their relationship is not yet a established rivalry, but they had some tight duels last season. Frank’s Brentford were unfortunate to suffer a 2-1 loss at Stamford Bridge last December and had the better chances when they tied 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two competitive games, made more intriguing by the tactical differences between the coaches. Frank is more of a adaptable coach, more inclined to be direct, play on the break, and wait for chances to unveil an array of effective set-piece plays, whereas Maresca tends towards a strict philosophy. The Italian hails from the Pep Guardiola school; he prizes control of the ball.

Chelsea’s possession average of 59.7% this season is bettered only by Liverpool in the Premier League. Frank adapts his tactics more. Spurs are not inherently a defensive side – they are seventh in the possession table, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is telling that their most impressive performances have come in games where they have surrendered the possession. They were superb with a defensive setup in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, executed an impressive counterpress when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and dominated Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those experiences indicate Spurs might sit back when they welcome Chelsea. Tottenham, it must be noted, have only one victory from their past seven home league games. The figures are disappointing. Spurs’ return of 13 points from their past 18 home outings is the worst of any team to have been in the top flight during that period.

This is a hard game to read. Spurs are five points off the top and undefeated in the Champions League. Chelsea are world champions and advanced to the last eight of the Carabao Cup this week. However, fans of both sides remain doubtful about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have expressed frustration about a lack of creativity when the onus is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s moan about their young side’s immaturity, indiscipline, and difficulties against defensive setups.

The truth is that both managers are managing reasonably well. Chelsea could drop to 12th if they lose to Spurs, but there is mitigating circumstances to their mixed results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have taken a toll. A disrupted pre-season, resulting from the club competing deep at the Club World Cup, cannot be dismissed.

Yet, there is room for improvement, especially when it comes to keeping 11 players on the pitch. Liam Delap’s ludicrous dismissal during Wednesday’s Carabao Cup win against Wolves was Chelsea’s sixth red card in nine games, including Maresca’s banishment from the touchline during the win over Liverpool.

Maresca was furious with Delap, who is banned for the fixture to Spurs. But he is also thinking about how to make his team more incisive against defensive teams. The goals have decreased for João Pedro, and more reliability is required from Chelsea’s young wingers.

Irritation mounted during last weekend’s 2-1 home defeat by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their highest of the campaign, but their expected goals was 0.97. Sunderland’s switch to a five-man defense baffled Maresca. Régis Le Bris had done his homework. Numbers showing that it is only one victory from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its maximum this season implies that their core identity is being used against them and used to their disadvantage.

This is not a new issue. It was zero victories from the four league games in which Chelsea had their most possession last season, underscoring a weakness when Maresca’s drive for control is taken to the limit. The threat is slipping into unproductive possession, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s term. José Mourinho’s line about the team with the ball having the worry also applies here.

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

Will Frank give them freedom? Chelsea exploited Postecoglou’s gung-ho tactics on their past two visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will surely 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 chucking balls into the box. They will note that Chelsea have improved at attacking 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 missing, there is a considerable creative burden on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, pursued by Chelsea last summer, has not made an impact since arriving from RB Leipzig. Spurs are predictable in from open situations. Their forwards remain unreliable.

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