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

The feeling was that Maresca’s positional game and emphasis on possession rendered him the most suitable for Chelsea’s squad of talented individuals. Frank, who had achieved great success at Brentford, had to wait for his next opportunity. Not chosen by Manchester United after they parted ways with Erik ten Hag, his opportunity arrived when Tottenham appointed the Dane after replacing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

At present, Frank and Maresca confront one another, both holding major roles. Their relationship is not yet a full-blown rivalry, but they shared some tight duels last season. Frank’s Brentford were unfortunate to suffer a 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge last December and created the superior chances when they drew 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two decent games, made more fascinating by the contrasting styles between the coaches. Frank is considered a adaptable coach, more inclined to be straightforward, play on the counter-attack, and wait for chances to execute an variety of deadly set-piece plays, whereas Maresca veers towards a strict philosophy. The Italian hails from the Pep Guardiola philosophy; he prizes control of the ball.

Chelsea’s possession average of 59.7% this season is exceeded only by Liverpool in the Premier League. Frank mixes it up more. Spurs are not instinctively a defensively-minded side – they are seventh in the possession rankings, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is notable that their most impressive showings have come in games where they have surrendered the control. They were superb with a back five in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, implemented an outstanding pressing game when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and destroyed Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those results suggest Spurs ought to adopt a defensive approach when they welcome Chelsea. Tottenham, after all, have one win from their last seven home league games. The figures are disappointing. Spurs’ record of 13 points from their past 18 home outings is the poorest of any team to have been in the top flight during that period.

This is a difficult game to read. Spurs are five points off the top and unbeaten in the Champions League. Chelsea are Club World Cup winners and reached the last eight of the Carabao Cup this week. However, fans of both sides remain skeptical about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have complained about a shortage of creativity when the pressure is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s moan about their young side’s inexperience, indiscipline, and struggles 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 background to their inconsistent results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have taken a toll. A disrupted pre-season, due to the club competing deep at the Club World Cup, cannot be ignored.

Yet, there is scope for improvement, especially when it comes to maintaining 11 players on the pitch. Liam Delap’s ludicrous sending off 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 angry with Delap, who is suspended for the visit to Spurs. But he is also considering how to make his team more penetrative against low blocks. The goals have decreased for João Pedro, and more reliability is needed from Chelsea’s young attacking midfielders.

Frustration grew during last weekend’s 2-1 home defeat by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their peak of the campaign, but their xG was 0.97. Sunderland’s change to a back five confused Maresca. Régis Le Bris had studied his opponent. Statistics revealing that it is one win from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its highest this season indicates that their core identity is being exploited and turned on them.

This is not a recent issue. It was zero victories from the four league games in which Chelsea had their most possession last season, underscoring a vulnerability when Maresca’s pursuit for control is taken to the limit. The danger is drifting into unproductive possession, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s term. José Mourinho’s line about the team with the ball having the fear also is relevant.

Maresca disagrees, but it is worth recalling that Chelsea had 33.5% possession when they produced their finest performance under the Italian and routed PSG in the Club World Cup final. Flexibility is a strength. Chelsea have a number of fast attackers and are exciting when they have space to attack.

Will Frank give them opportunity? Chelsea exploited Postecoglou’s gung-ho tactics on their past two trips to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will undoubtedly be more strategic. 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 observe that Chelsea have gotten better at attacking set pieces but are allowing too many chances.

Being so direct does not necessarily align with Spurs’ traditions. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski missing, there is a significant creative burden on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, pursued by Chelsea last summer, has not made an impact 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 cautious approach breaks a four-game losing run against Chelsea. Success would boost Frank’s tenure. How he would cherish to win this duel with Maresca.