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

The belief was that Maresca’s structured approach and emphasis on possession positioned him as the most suitable for Chelsea’s squad of skilled players. Frank, who had achieved great success at Brentford, had to remain patient for his next chance. Not chosen by Manchester United after they let go of Erik ten Hag, his break arrived when Tottenham brought in the Dane after sacking Ange Postecoglou last summer.

Now, Frank and Maresca meet, both in prestigious roles. Theirs is not currently a full-blown rivalry, but they had some hard-fought duels last season. Frank’s Brentford were unfortunate to endure a 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge last December and had the more clear-cut chances when they drew 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two competitive games, made more intriguing by the tactical differences between the managers. Frank is more of a pragmatist, more willing to be straightforward, play on the counter-attack, and wait for opportunities to execute an range of deadly set-piece routines, whereas Maresca veers towards dogmatism. The Italian is a product of the Pep Guardiola school; he values control of the ball.

Chelsea’s average of 59.7% this season is topped only by Liverpool in the Premier League. Frank adapts his tactics 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 most impressive performances have come in games where they have ceded the possession. They were outstanding with a five-man defense 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 suggest Spurs might adopt a defensive approach when they host Chelsea. Tottenham, after all, have one win from their past seven home league games. The numbers are awful. Spurs’ return of 13 points from their past 18 home fixtures is the poorest of any team to have been in the top flight during that timeframe.

This is a difficult 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 skeptical about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have expressed frustration about a lack of creativity when the responsibility is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s lament about their young side’s immaturity, indiscipline, and difficulties against defensive setups.

The truth is that both managers are doing fine. Chelsea could slip to 12th if they are defeated to Spurs, but there is mitigating circumstances to their inconsistent results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have had an impact. A interrupted pre-season, caused by the club reaching the final at the Club World Cup, cannot be overlooked.

However, there is potential for progress, especially when it comes to keeping 11 players on the pitch. Liam Delap’s ludicrous red card during Wednesday’s Carabao Cup success against Wolves was Chelsea’s sixth red card in nine games, including Maresca’s removal from the dugout during the win over Liverpool.

Maresca was angry with Delap, who is banned for the visit to Spurs. But he is also thinking about how to make his team more penetrative against low blocks. The goals have slowed down for João Pedro, and more reliability is needed from Chelsea’s young attacking midfielders.

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

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

Maresca disagrees, but it is worth remembering that Chelsea had 33.5% possession when they produced their finest performance under the Italian and decisively beat PSG in the Club World Cup final. Variety is a advantage. Chelsea have a number of fast attackers and are dynamic when they have room to attack.

Will Frank grant them space? Chelsea punished Postecoglou’s gung-ho tactics on their past two trips to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will surely be more strategic. Is a change 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 observe that Chelsea have gotten better at offensive set pieces but are allowing too many chances.

Being so straightforward does not necessarily match Spurs’ traditions. 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 joining RB Leipzig. Spurs are predictable in general play. Their forwards remain erratic.

But this is one game where the result may validate the means. Spurs fans will not object if a cautious approach halts a four-game sequence of defeats against Chelsea. Success would energize Frank’s reign. How he would relish to win this contest with Maresca.