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When Chelsea were seeking for a replacement for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, several managers were evaluated. This was an thorough process that involved the club holding talks with Thomas Frank before they ultimately opted for Enzo Maresca.

The belief was that Maresca’s positional game and priority on possession rendered him the best fit for Chelsea’s roster of skilled players. Frank, who had excelled at Brentford, had to bide his time for his big break. Not chosen by Manchester United after they parted ways with Erik ten Hag, his moment came when Tottenham hired the Danish manager after replacing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

Currently, Frank and Maresca meet, both holding prestigious roles. Their relationship is not yet a full-fledged rivalry, but they shared some hard-fought duels last season. Frank’s Brentford were unlucky to endure a 2-1 loss at Stamford Bridge last December and had the more clear-cut chances when they tied 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two competitive games, made more fascinating by the divergent approaches between the managers. Frank is more of a pragmatist, more inclined to be direct, play on the counter-attack, and wait for opportunities to execute an range of effective set-piece routines, whereas Maresca veers towards dogmatism. The Italian hails from the Pep Guardiola coaching tree; he emphasizes control of the ball.

Chelsea’s average of 59.7% this season is bettered only by Liverpool in the Premier League. Frank varies his approach more. Spurs are not naturally a defensive side – they are ranked seventh in the possession rankings, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is significant that their best performances have come in games where they have ceded the control. They were outstanding with a five-man defense in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, executed an impressive counterpress when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and destroyed Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those performances suggest Spurs might sit back when they face Chelsea. Tottenham, it must be noted, have only one victory from their past seven home league games. The statistics are awful. Spurs’ record of 13 points from their last 18 home outings is the poorest of any team to have been in the top flight throughout that timeframe.

This is a tricky game to read. Spurs are five points off first place and undefeated in the Champions League. Chelsea are world champions and advanced to the last eight of the Carabao Cup this week. However, fans of both sides remain unconvinced about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have expressed frustration about a absence of creativity when the pressure is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s lament about their young side’s inexperience, indiscipline, and toils against defensive setups.

The reality is that both managers are performing adequately. Chelsea could slip to 12th if they lose 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 going all the way at the Club World Cup, cannot be dismissed.

Yet, there is potential for development, especially when it comes to maintaining 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 dismissal from the technical area during the win over Liverpool.

Maresca was furious with Delap, who is banned for the trip to Spurs. But he is also thinking about how to make his team more effective against defensive teams. The goals have decreased for João Pedro, and more reliability is necessary from Chelsea’s young wingers.

Disappointment 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 five-man defense 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 key approach is being weaponised and used to their disadvantage.

This is not a recent issue. It was no wins from the four league games in which Chelsea had their most possession last season, underscoring a vulnerability when Maresca’s drive for control is taken to extremes. The danger is slipping into unproductive possession, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s term. José Mourinho’s remark about the team with the ball having the anxiety also is relevant.

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

Will Frank grant them freedom? Chelsea exploited Postecoglou’s gung-ho tactics on their past two trips to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will undoubtedly be smarter. Is a shift 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 improved at attacking set pieces but are conceding too many chances.

Being so straightforward does not necessarily fit with Spurs’ style. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski unavailable, there is a significant creative burden on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, targeted by Chelsea last summer, has not made an impact since arriving from RB Leipzig. Spurs are one-dimensional in open play. Their forwards remain erratic.

But this is one game where the ends may validate the approach. Spurs fans will not object if a cautious approach ends a four-game losing run against Chelsea. Success would energize Frank’s tenure. How he would love to win this contest with Maresca.