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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. It was an thorough process that involved the club holding talks with Thomas Frank before they finally opted for Enzo Maresca.

The opinion was that Maresca’s tactical system and focus on possession made him the ideal candidate for Chelsea’s squad of skilled players. Frank, who had performed brilliantly at Brentford, had to wait for his next opportunity. Overlooked by Manchester United after they let go of Erik ten Hag, his moment arrived when Tottenham brought in the Danish manager after firing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

Currently, Frank and Maresca face each other, both in prestigious roles. Their relationship is not currently a full-blown rivalry, but they experienced some hard-fought duels last season. Frank’s Brentford were unlucky 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 competitive games, made more intriguing by the tactical differences between the tacticians. Frank is more of a practical manager, more inclined to be straightforward, play on the counter-attack, and wait for opportunities to deploy an range of deadly set-piece strategies, whereas Maresca tends towards a strict philosophy. The Italian comes from the Pep Guardiola school; he emphasizes 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 adapts his tactics more. Spurs are not inherently a defensive side – they are ranked seventh in the possession rankings, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is telling that their strongest showings have come in games where they have surrendered the control. They were excellent 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 destroyed Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those results indicate Spurs might sit back when they host Chelsea. Tottenham, after all, have one win from their last seven home league games. The numbers 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 read. Spurs are five points off first place and unbeaten in the Champions League. Chelsea are Club World Cup winners and advanced to the last eight of the Carabao Cup this week. Yet, fans of both sides remain doubtful about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have complained about a shortage of creativity when the onus is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s lament about their young side’s immaturity, lack of discipline, and struggles against defensive setups.

The situation is that both managers are performing adequately. 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, caused by the club competing deep at the Club World Cup, cannot be overlooked.

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 success against Wolves was Chelsea’s sixth red card in nine games, including Maresca’s banishment from the technical area during the win over Liverpool.

Maresca was furious with Delap, who is banned for the trip to Spurs. But he is also pondering how to make his team more penetrative against low blocks. The goals have slowed down for João Pedro, and more steadiness is needed from Chelsea’s young wingers.

Frustration grew during last weekend’s 2-1 home loss by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their peak of the season, but their xG was 0.97. Sunderland’s change to a back five baffled Maresca. Régis Le Bris had studied his opponent. Data indicating that it is only one victory from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its maximum this season indicates that their core identity is being weaponised and turned on them.

This is not a recent issue. It was no wins from the four league games in which Chelsea had their most possession last season, underscoring a flaw when Maresca’s drive for control is taken to extremes. The threat is drifting into unproductive possession, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s term. José Mourinho’s line about the team with the ball having the anxiety also applies here.

Maresca contests this view, but it is worth remembering that Chelsea had 33.5% possession when they delivered their best performance under the Italian and thrashed PSG in the Club World Cup final. Variety is a positive attribute. Chelsea have a number of fast attackers and are exciting when they have room to attack.

Will Frank grant them space? Chelsea exploited Postecoglou’s attacking tactics on their past two trips to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will certainly be more strategic. 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 observe that Chelsea have gotten better at offensive set pieces but are allowing too many chances.

Being so long-ball oriented does not necessarily fit with Spurs’ history. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski missing, there is a heavy creative responsibility on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, courted by Chelsea last summer, has not performed to expectations since arriving from RB Leipzig. Spurs are one-dimensional in from open situations. Their forwards remain inconsistent.

But this is one game where the result may excuse the means. Spurs fans will not object if a cautious approach breaks a four-game sequence of defeats against Chelsea. A win would boost Frank’s tenure. How he would love to win this duel with Maresca.