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When Chelsea were searching for a replacement for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, a number of managers were in contention. This was an extensive process that saw the club holding talks with Thomas Frank before they eventually chose Enzo Maresca.

The opinion was that Maresca’s structured approach and emphasis on possession made him the ideal candidate for Chelsea’s squad of talented individuals. Frank, who had excelled at Brentford, had to remain patient for his next opportunity. Not chosen by Manchester United after they let go of Erik ten Hag, his opportunity came when Tottenham brought in the Danish manager after sacking Ange Postecoglou last summer.

Currently, Frank and Maresca meet, both occupying major roles. Their relationship is not yet a full-fledged rivalry, but they experienced some hard-fought matches last season. Frank’s Brentford were unlucky to endure a 2-1 loss at Stamford Bridge last December and had the superior chances when they drew 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two decent games, made more intriguing by the divergent approaches between the coaches. Frank is considered a adaptable coach, more willing to be direct, play on the counter-attack, and wait for chances to deploy an variety of deadly set-piece strategies, whereas Maresca veers towards a strict philosophy. The Italian comes from the Pep Guardiola coaching tree; he emphasizes control of the ball.

Chelsea’s possession average of 59.7% so far this campaign is exceeded only by Liverpool in the Premier League. Frank adapts his tactics more. Spurs are not naturally a defensively-minded side – they are ranked seventh in the possession rankings, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is significant that their most impressive displays have come in games where they have relinquished the control. They were excellent with a defensive setup in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, implemented an exceptional counterpress when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and destroyed Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those experiences suggest Spurs ought to sit back when they face Chelsea. Tottenham, it must be noted, have one win from their past seven home league games. The statistics are disappointing. Spurs’ return of 13 points from their past 18 home fixtures is the worst of any team to have been in the top flight during that timeframe.

This is a difficult game to read. Spurs are five points off the summit and unbeaten in the Champions League. Chelsea are Club World Cup winners and reached the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup this week. Nevertheless, fans of both sides remain skeptical about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have complained about a shortage of creativity when the onus is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s complain about their young side’s immaturity, indiscipline, and struggles against low blocks.

The situation is that both managers are doing fine. Chelsea could drop 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 disrupted pre-season, due to the club going all the way at the Club World Cup, cannot be ignored.

Still, there is room for development, especially when it comes to keeping 11 players on the pitch. Liam Delap’s unnecessary dismissal during Wednesday’s Carabao Cup victory 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 displeased with Delap, who is suspended for the trip to Spurs. But he is also thinking about how to make his team more penetrative against low blocks. The goals have slowed down for João Pedro, and more steadiness is required from Chelsea’s young wide players.

Irritation mounted during last weekend’s 2-1 home loss by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their peak of the season, but their expected goals was 0.97. Sunderland’s change to a five-man defense confused Maresca. Régis Le Bris had done his homework. Statistics indicating 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 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 weakness when Maresca’s quest for control is taken to the limit. The danger is falling into ineffective control, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s term. José Mourinho’s line about the team with the ball having the worry also is relevant.

Maresca differs in opinion, but it is worth recalling that Chelsea had 33.5% possession when they produced their finest performance under the Italian and decisively beat PSG in the Club World Cup final. Adaptability is a positive attribute. Chelsea have a number of fast attackers and are pulsating when they have room to attack.

Will Frank allow them space? Chelsea exploited Postecoglou’s gung-ho tactics on their past two visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will undoubtedly be smarter. Is a switch to a back five possible? Chelsea have conceded from three long throws this season. Spurs could have Kevin Danso chucking balls into the box. They will take into account that Chelsea have gotten better 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 unavailable, there is a significant creative responsibility on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, targeted by Chelsea last summer, has not performed to expectations since arriving from RB Leipzig. Spurs are lacking variety in from open situations. Their forwards remain unreliable.

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