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At the time Chelsea were seeking for a replacement for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, multiple managers were evaluated. This was an thorough process that saw the club engaging with Thomas Frank before they ultimately opted for Enzo Maresca.

The opinion was that Maresca’s positional game and priority on possession rendered him the best fit for Chelsea’s team of technicians. Frank, who had excelled at Brentford, had to wait 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 replacing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

At present, Frank and Maresca meet, both holding prestigious roles. Their relationship is not yet a full-blown rivalry, but they had some tight duels last season. Frank’s Brentford were unfortunate to suffer a 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge last December and created the more clear-cut chances when they tied 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two competitive games, made more intriguing by the divergent approaches between the coaches. Frank is considered a practical manager, more inclined to be direct, play on the break, and wait for chances to execute an range of effective set-piece routines, whereas Maresca veers towards a strict philosophy. The Italian comes from the Pep Guardiola philosophy; he values control of the ball.

Chelsea’s possession average of 59.7% so far this campaign is topped 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 significant that their best performances have come in games where they have surrendered the control. They were superb with a five-man defense in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, executed an impressive pressing game when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and overwhelmed Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those experiences indicate Spurs ought to play on the counter when they face Chelsea. Tottenham, it must be noted, have only one victory from their last seven home league games. The statistics are awful. Spurs’ return of 13 points from their last 18 home fixtures is the lowest of any team to have been in the top flight during that timeframe.

This is a tricky game to predict. Spurs are five points off first place and undefeated in the Champions League. Chelsea are world champions and advanced to the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup this week. Yet, fans of both sides remain unconvinced about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have grumbled about a lack of creativity when the onus is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s moan about their young side’s immaturity, lack of discipline, and toils against low blocks.

The truth is that both managers are managing reasonably well. Chelsea could drop to 12th if they are defeated to Spurs, but there is context to their inconsistent results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have taken a toll. A disrupted pre-season, caused by the club reaching the final at the Club World Cup, cannot be ignored.

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

Maresca was furious with Delap, who is suspended for the visit to Spurs. But he is also considering how to make his team more effective against defensive teams. The goals have dried up for João Pedro, and more steadiness is necessary from Chelsea’s young attacking midfielders.

Irritation built during last weekend’s 2-1 home defeat by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their maximum of the campaign, but their xG was 0.97. Sunderland’s switch to a back five flummoxed Maresca. Régis Le Bris had done his homework. Numbers revealing that it is one win from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its maximum this season suggests that their fundamental philosophy is being weaponised and used to their disadvantage.

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, highlighting 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 remark about the team with the ball having the anxiety also applies here.

Maresca differs in opinion, but it is worth noting that Chelsea had 33.5% possession when they delivered their best performance under the Italian and thrashed PSG in the Club World Cup final. Flexibility is a strength. Chelsea have several fast attackers and are dynamic when they have space to attack.

Will Frank grant them freedom? Chelsea punished Postecoglou’s gung-ho tactics on their last two visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will undoubtedly be more cautious. Is a switch 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 take into account that Chelsea have gotten better at attacking set pieces but are allowing too many chances.

Being so long-ball oriented does not necessarily match Spurs’ style. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski absent, there is a heavy creative burden on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, courted by Chelsea last summer, has not performed to expectations since arriving from RB Leipzig. Spurs are predictable in general play. Their forwards remain erratic.

But this is one game where the ends may validate the means. Spurs fans will not object if a pragmatic approach ends a four-game winless streak against Chelsea. Victory would energize Frank’s tenure. How he would love to win this duel with Maresca.