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When Chelsea were searching for a successor for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, a number of managers were considered. It was an extensive process that saw 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 rendered him the best fit for Chelsea’s roster of talented individuals. Frank, who had performed brilliantly at Brentford, had to wait for his next chance. Not chosen by Manchester United after they parted ways with Erik ten Hag, his opportunity came when Tottenham brought in the Danish manager after firing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

Now, Frank and Maresca meet, both in major roles. Their relationship is not yet a established rivalry, but they experienced some close duels last season. Frank’s Brentford were unfortunate to suffer a 2-1 defeat 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 tactical differences between the managers. Frank is considered a adaptable coach, more likely to be straightforward, play on the counter-attack, and wait for chances to unveil an array of deadly set-piece plays, whereas Maresca leans towards dogmatism. The Italian comes from the Pep Guardiola school; he values dominance of the ball.

Chelsea’s possession average of 59.7% this season is exceeded only by Liverpool in the Premier League. Frank mixes it up more. Spurs are not naturally a defensive side – they are ranked seventh in the possession standings, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is telling that their strongest displays have come in games where they have ceded the control. They were excellent with a back five in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, implemented an outstanding counterpress when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and dominated Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those performances suggest Spurs might play on the counter when they welcome Chelsea. Tottenham, after all, have one win from their past seven home league games. The figures are disappointing. Spurs’ record of 13 points from their past 18 home matches is the poorest of any team to have been in the top flight during that timeframe.

This is a hard game to predict. Spurs are five points off the summit and unbeaten in the Champions League. Chelsea are Club World Cup winners and advanced to the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup this week. Yet, fans of both sides remain skeptical 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 lament about their young side’s inexperience, lack of discipline, and struggles against low blocks.

The reality 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 had an impact. A interrupted pre-season, resulting from the club going all the way at the Club World Cup, cannot be ignored.

However, there is potential for improvement, especially when it comes to keeping 11 players on the pitch. Liam Delap’s unnecessary sending off during Wednesday’s Carabao Cup success against Wolves was Chelsea’s sixth red card in nine games, including Maresca’s removal from the dugout during the win over Liverpool.

Maresca was angry with Delap, who is banned for the trip to Spurs. But he is also considering how to make his team more penetrative against low blocks. The goals have slowed down for João Pedro, and more reliability is necessary from Chelsea’s young wide players.

Irritation mounted during last weekend’s 2-1 home loss by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their highest 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 only one victory from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its peak this season indicates that their fundamental philosophy is being weaponised and turned on them.

This is not a recent issue. It was zero victories 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 risk is slipping into unproductive possession, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s phrase. 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 delivered their finest performance under the Italian and decisively beat PSG in the Club World Cup final. Variety is a strength. Chelsea have several fast attackers and are exciting when they have space to attack.

Will Frank grant them space? Chelsea took advantage of Postecoglou’s attacking tactics on their past two visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will undoubtedly be more strategic. Is a switch to a back five likely? Chelsea have allowed goals from three long throws this season. Spurs could have Kevin Danso chucking balls into the box. They will note 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’ history. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski absent, there is a heavy creative burden on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, pursued by Chelsea last summer, has not performed to expectations since joining RB Leipzig. Spurs are lacking variety in open play. Their forwards remain erratic.

But this is one game where the ends may validate the approach. Spurs fans will not mind if a pragmatic approach halts a four-game sequence of defeats against Chelsea. Victory would ignite Frank’s reign. How he would cherish to win this contest with Maresca.