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

The feeling was that Maresca’s positional game and focus on possession positioned him as the ideal candidate for Chelsea’s team of skilled players. Frank, who had achieved great success at Brentford, had to wait for his next chance. Overlooked by Manchester United after they parted ways with Erik ten Hag, his break came when Tottenham hired the Dane after replacing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

Currently, Frank and Maresca face each other, both in prestigious roles. Theirs is not yet a full-fledged rivalry, but they experienced some tight matches last season. Frank’s Brentford were unlucky to endure a 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge last December and created the better chances when they tied 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two decent games, made more interesting by the divergent approaches between the managers. Frank is more of a practical manager, more inclined to be straightforward, play on the break, and wait for opportunities to execute an array of effective set-piece plays, whereas Maresca leans towards dogmatism. The Italian comes from the Pep Guardiola philosophy; he emphasizes 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 defensive side – they are seventh in the possession table, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is notable that their best showings have come in games where they have ceded the control. They were outstanding with a back five in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, executed an exceptional pressing game when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and destroyed Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those performances indicate Spurs should adopt a defensive approach when they face Chelsea. Tottenham, it must be noted, have only one victory from their past seven home league games. The statistics are disappointing. Spurs’ record of 13 points from their last 18 home matches is the worst of any team to have been in the top flight throughout that period.

This is a difficult 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 skeptical about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have complained about a absence of creativity when the pressure is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s moan about their young side’s inexperience, indiscipline, and struggles against low blocks.

The situation is that both managers are managing reasonably well. Chelsea could fall to 12th if they are defeated to Spurs, but there is background to their inconsistent results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have taken a toll. A interrupted pre-season, due to the club going all the way at the Club World Cup, cannot be ignored.

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

Maresca was displeased with Delap, who is banned for the visit to Spurs. But he is also thinking about how to make his team more effective against defensive teams. The goals have slowed down for João Pedro, and more steadiness is necessary from Chelsea’s young wingers.

Irritation built during last weekend’s 2-1 home defeat by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their highest of the season, but their expected goals was 0.97. Sunderland’s change to a back five confused Maresca. Régis Le Bris had studied his opponent. Statistics revealing that it is only one victory from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its peak this season suggests that their fundamental philosophy is being exploited and turned on them.

This is not a new issue. It was no wins from the four league games in which Chelsea had their most possession last season, highlighting a flaw when Maresca’s pursuit for control is taken to extremes. The danger is slipping into sterile domination, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s phrase. José Mourinho’s comment about the team with the ball having the fear also applies here.

Maresca contests this view, but it is worth noting that Chelsea had 33.5% possession when they produced their best performance under the Italian and decisively beat PSG in the Club World Cup final. Adaptability is a advantage. 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 adventurous tactics on their last 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 take into account that Chelsea have gotten better at offensive set pieces but are conceding too many chances.

Being so straightforward does not necessarily fit with Spurs’ style. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski absent, there is a heavy creative responsibility on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, courted by Chelsea last summer, has not done enough since arriving from RB Leipzig. Spurs are predictable in general play. Their forwards remain inconsistent.

But this is one game where the ends may justify the approach. Spurs fans will not complain if a cautious approach ends a four-game winless streak against Chelsea. Success would boost Frank’s tenure. How he would love to win this battle with Maresca.