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At the time Chelsea were seeking for a replacement for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, several managers were in contention. This was an thorough process that involved the club engaging with Thomas Frank before they eventually selected Enzo Maresca.

The feeling was that Maresca’s tactical system and emphasis on possession made him the best fit for Chelsea’s squad of talented individuals. Frank, who had achieved great success at Brentford, had to wait for his big break. Overlooked by Manchester United after they dismissed Erik ten Hag, his break arrived when Tottenham appointed the Dane after firing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

Currently, Frank and Maresca face each other, 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 loss at Stamford Bridge last December and had the better chances when they tied 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two engaging games, made more intriguing by the contrasting styles between the coaches. Frank is considered a adaptable coach, more likely to be direct, play on the counter-attack, and wait for opportunities to unveil an array of clinical set-piece routines, whereas Maresca tends towards a strict philosophy. The Italian comes from the Pep Guardiola coaching tree; he emphasizes dominance of the ball.

Chelsea’s possession average of 59.7% this season is topped only by Liverpool in the Premier League. Frank mixes it up more. Spurs are not inherently a defensively-minded side – they are ranked seventh in the possession table, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is notable that their strongest displays have come in games where they have relinquished the initiative. They were excellent with a five-man defense in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, executed an exceptional counterpress when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and overwhelmed Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those performances point to Spurs might sit back when they face Chelsea. Tottenham, after all, have one win from their last seven home league games. The statistics are concerning. Spurs’ return of 13 points from their past 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 call. Spurs are five points off the summit and unbeaten in the Champions League. Chelsea are world champions and advanced to the last eight of the Carabao Cup this week. Nevertheless, fans of both sides remain unconvinced about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have grumbled about a shortage of creativity when the pressure is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s lament about their young side’s immaturity, indiscipline, and difficulties against defensive setups.

The truth is that both managers are performing adequately. Chelsea could drop to 12th if they are defeated to Spurs, but there is mitigating circumstances to their inconsistent results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have been costly. A disrupted pre-season, due to the club competing deep at the Club World Cup, cannot be dismissed.

However, there is scope for development, especially when it comes to keeping 11 players on the pitch. Liam Delap’s rash dismissal during Wednesday’s Carabao Cup success 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 furious with Delap, who is banned for the visit to Spurs. But he is also considering how to make his team more effective against low blocks. The goals have decreased for João Pedro, and more consistency is needed from Chelsea’s young wingers.

Irritation grew during last weekend’s 2-1 home defeat by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their highest of the campaign, but their xG was 0.97. Sunderland’s switch to a back five confused Maresca. Régis Le Bris had done his homework. Numbers indicating that it is one win from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its peak this season implies that their core identity is being exploited and turned on them.

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

Maresca differs in opinion, but it is worth remembering that Chelsea had 33.5% possession when they put in their finest performance under the Italian and routed PSG in the Club World Cup final. Flexibility is a strength. Chelsea have plenty of fast attackers and are dynamic when they have room to attack.

Will Frank grant them opportunity? Chelsea punished Postecoglou’s gung-ho tactics on their past two trips to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will undoubtedly be smarter. Is a change to a back five on the cards? 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 improved at offensive set pieces but are conceding too many chances.

Being so straightforward does not necessarily align with Spurs’ history. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski unavailable, there is a significant creative burden on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, courted by Chelsea last summer, has not performed to expectations since joining RB Leipzig. Spurs are one-dimensional in general play. Their forwards remain erratic.

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