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At the time Chelsea were looking for a successor for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, several managers were considered. This was an thorough process that involved the club engaging with Thomas Frank before they ultimately opted for Enzo Maresca.

The belief was that Maresca’s positional game and emphasis on possession rendered him the ideal candidate for Chelsea’s roster of technicians. Frank, who had excelled at Brentford, had to wait for his next chance. Overlooked by Manchester United after they dismissed Erik ten Hag, his break came when Tottenham hired the Dane after sacking Ange Postecoglou last summer.

Currently, Frank and Maresca meet, both occupying major roles. Their relationship is not yet a full-blown rivalry, but they had some close matches last season. Frank’s Brentford were unlucky to endure a 2-1 loss at Stamford Bridge last December and created the more clear-cut chances when they tied 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two decent games, made more interesting by the divergent approaches between the coaches. Frank is more of a adaptable coach, more willing to be direct, play on the counter-attack, and wait for opportunities to unveil an range of clinical set-piece plays, whereas Maresca veers towards a strict philosophy. The Italian hails from the Pep Guardiola school; he prizes dominance of the ball.

Chelsea’s average of 59.7% this season is topped only by Liverpool in the Premier League. Frank mixes it up more. Spurs are not instinctively a defensively-minded 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 relinquished the initiative. They were outstanding with a back five in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, implemented an exceptional pressing game when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and destroyed Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those performances indicate Spurs should play on the counter when they host Chelsea. Tottenham, it must be noted, have one win from their last seven home league games. The numbers are awful. 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 period.

This is a hard game to read. Spurs are five points off the top and unbeaten in the Champions League. Chelsea are world champions and advanced to the last eight of the Carabao Cup this week. Nevertheless, fans of both sides remain skeptical about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have expressed frustration about a lack of creativity when the onus is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s lament about their young side’s inexperience, indiscipline, and struggles against low blocks.

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

However, there is room for improvement, especially when it comes to maintaining 11 players on the pitch. Liam Delap’s unnecessary dismissal during Wednesday’s Carabao Cup victory against Wolves was Chelsea’s sixth such 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 trip to Spurs. But he is also pondering how to make his team more effective against defensive teams. The goals have slowed down for João Pedro, and more consistency is required from Chelsea’s young wingers.

Frustration mounted during last weekend’s 2-1 home loss by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their maximum of the season, but their expected goals was 0.97. Sunderland’s adjustment to a back five confused Maresca. Régis Le Bris had done his homework. Data showing that it is one win from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its maximum this season implies that their core identity is being exploited and used to their disadvantage.

This is not a recent issue. It was zero victories from the four league games in which Chelsea had their highest possession stats last season, highlighting a weakness when Maresca’s pursuit for control is taken to the limit. The threat is falling into unproductive possession, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s term. José Mourinho’s remark about the team with the ball having the worry also applies here.

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

Will Frank allow them space? Chelsea took advantage of Postecoglou’s adventurous tactics on their last two trips to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will undoubtedly be smarter. Is a switch to a five-man defense on the cards? Chelsea have allowed goals from three long throws this season. Spurs could have Kevin Danso chucking balls into the box. They will observe that Chelsea have gotten better at attacking set pieces but are conceding too many chances.

Being so long-ball oriented 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, pursued by Chelsea last summer, has not done enough since joining RB Leipzig. Spurs are lacking variety in open play. Their forwards remain inconsistent.

But this is one game where the outcome may validate the method. Spurs fans will not mind if a cautious approach halts a four-game sequence of defeats against Chelsea. A win would ignite Frank’s time in charge. How he would love to win this duel with Maresca.