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When Chelsea were searching for a replacement for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, multiple managers were considered. It was an thorough process that saw the club holding talks with Thomas Frank before they eventually chose Enzo Maresca.

The belief was that Maresca’s positional game and priority on possession positioned him as the most suitable for Chelsea’s squad of talented individuals. Frank, who had performed brilliantly at Brentford, had to wait for his big break. Not chosen by Manchester United after they parted ways with Erik ten Hag, his moment arrived when Tottenham hired the Danish manager after firing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

At present, Frank and Maresca meet, both in prestigious roles. Theirs is not currently a established rivalry, but they had some hard-fought duels last season. Frank’s Brentford were unlucky to endure a 2-1 loss at Stamford Bridge last December and created the better chances when they drew 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two engaging games, made more intriguing by the contrasting styles between the tacticians. Frank is considered a practical manager, more willing to be direct, play on the counter-attack, and wait for opportunities to execute an array of deadly set-piece strategies, whereas Maresca veers towards ideological rigidity. The Italian is a product of the Pep Guardiola philosophy; he values dominance of the ball.

Chelsea’s average of 59.7% this season is bettered only by Liverpool in the Premier League. Frank adapts his tactics more. Spurs are not naturally a defensively-minded side – they are seventh in the possession table, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is telling that their best displays 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 impressive counterpress when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and overwhelmed Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those experiences suggest Spurs ought to play on the counter when they welcome Chelsea. Tottenham, after all, have one win from their last seven home league games. The figures are concerning. Spurs’ return of 13 points from their past 18 home fixtures is the poorest of any team to have been in the top flight throughout that timeframe.

This is a hard game to read. Spurs are five points off the summit and undefeated in the Champions League. Chelsea are world champions and advanced to the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup this week. Nevertheless, fans of both sides remain skeptical about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have grumbled about a lack of creativity when the onus is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s complain about their young side’s immaturity, lack of discipline, and toils against defensive setups.

The reality is that both managers are managing reasonably well. Chelsea could slip to 12th if they are defeated to Spurs, but there is context to their indifferent 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 overlooked.

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

Maresca was displeased 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 dried up for João Pedro, and more consistency is necessary from Chelsea’s young wide players.

Irritation built during last weekend’s 2-1 home loss by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their peak of the campaign, but their xG was 0.97. Sunderland’s switch to a back five flummoxed Maresca. Régis Le Bris had prepared well. Statistics revealing that it is only one victory from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its highest this season implies that their core identity is being used against them and turned on them.

This is not a new issue. It was zero victories from the four league games in which Chelsea had their highest possession stats last season, emphasizing a vulnerability 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 fear also applies here.

Maresca disagrees, but it is worth recalling that Chelsea had 33.5% possession when they delivered their finest performance under the Italian and routed PSG in the Club World Cup final. Adaptability is a positive attribute. Chelsea have several fast attackers and are dynamic when they have room to attack.

Will Frank grant them freedom? Chelsea took advantage of Postecoglou’s adventurous tactics on their last two visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will certainly be smarter. Is a change to a back five on the cards? Chelsea have conceded from three long throws this season. Spurs could have Kevin Danso chucking balls into the box. They will note that Chelsea have improved at offensive set pieces but are conceding too many chances.

Being so straightforward does not necessarily align with Spurs’ history. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski unavailable, there is a considerable creative burden on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, pursued by Chelsea last summer, has not made an impact since joining RB Leipzig. Spurs are lacking variety in general play. Their forwards remain unreliable.

But this is one game where the ends may excuse the approach. Spurs fans will not complain if a pragmatic approach ends a four-game winless streak against Chelsea. A win would boost Frank’s time in charge. How he would love to win this duel with Maresca.