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At the time Chelsea were searching for a replacement for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, several managers were considered. It was an thorough process that involved the club holding talks with Thomas Frank before they finally chose Enzo Maresca.

The opinion was that Maresca’s tactical system and focus on possession rendered him the best fit for Chelsea’s squad of talented individuals. Frank, who had excelled at Brentford, had to remain patient for his big break. Overlooked by Manchester United after they let go of Erik ten Hag, his break came when Tottenham hired the Dane after replacing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

At present, Frank and Maresca face each other, both occupying prestigious roles. Theirs is not yet a full-fledged rivalry, but they shared some close duels last season. Frank’s Brentford were unfortunate to endure a 2-1 loss at Stamford Bridge last December and had the superior chances when they tied 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two decent games, made more interesting by the contrasting styles between the coaches. Frank is more of a practical manager, more inclined to be direct, play on the break, and wait for opportunities to execute an range of deadly set-piece plays, whereas Maresca tends towards a strict philosophy. The Italian is a product of the Pep Guardiola coaching tree; he prizes 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 inherently a defensively-minded side – they are ranked seventh in the possession standings, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is telling that their most impressive showings have come in games where they have surrendered the initiative. They were superb with a back five in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, executed an exceptional pressing game when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and dominated Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those experiences point to Spurs might adopt a defensive approach when they welcome Chelsea. Tottenham, it must be noted, have only one victory from their past seven home league games. The numbers 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 period.

This is a tricky game to predict. Spurs are five points off the summit and undefeated in the Champions League. Chelsea are Club World Cup winners and advanced to the last eight of the Carabao Cup this week. However, fans of both sides remain skeptical about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have grumbled about a lack of creativity when the responsibility is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s complain 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 drop to 12th if they are defeated to Spurs, but there is mitigating circumstances to their mixed results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have been costly. A interrupted pre-season, due to the club competing deep at the Club World Cup, cannot be ignored.

Yet, there is scope for progress, especially when it comes to keeping 11 players on the pitch. Liam Delap’s rash dismissal during Wednesday’s Carabao Cup victory against Wolves was Chelsea’s sixth red card in nine games, including Maresca’s dismissal 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 pondering 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 attacking midfielders.

Irritation grew during last weekend’s 2-1 home loss by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their highest of the season, but their xG was 0.97. Sunderland’s adjustment to a five-man defense confused 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 key approach 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, highlighting a flaw when Maresca’s drive for control is taken to extremes. The threat is falling into ineffective control, 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 recalling that Chelsea had 33.5% possession when they produced their most impressive 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 dynamic when they have space to attack.

Will Frank grant them opportunity? Chelsea took advantage of Postecoglou’s gung-ho tactics on their last two trips to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will certainly be more strategic. Is a change to a five-man defense possible? Chelsea have allowed goals 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 allowing too many chances.

Being so direct does not necessarily match Spurs’ history. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski unavailable, there is a considerable creative load on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, targeted by Chelsea last summer, has not done enough since arriving from RB Leipzig. Spurs are one-dimensional in open play. Their forwards remain inconsistent.

But this is one game where the result may justify the means. Spurs fans will not mind if a pragmatic approach halts a four-game winless streak against Chelsea. Success would boost Frank’s time in charge. How he would cherish to win this battle with Maresca.