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At the time Chelsea were seeking for a successor for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, multiple managers were in contention. This was an comprehensive process that saw the club engaging with Thomas Frank before they ultimately chose Enzo Maresca.

The belief was that Maresca’s positional game and priority on possession rendered him the most suitable for Chelsea’s roster of technicians. Frank, who had achieved great success at Brentford, had to wait for his next opportunity. Passed over by Manchester United after they parted ways with Erik ten Hag, his opportunity arrived when Tottenham hired the Danish manager after replacing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

Now, Frank and Maresca confront one another, both holding prestigious roles. Theirs is not yet a full-fledged rivalry, but they experienced some tight duels last season. Frank’s Brentford were unlucky to endure a 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge last December and created the more clear-cut chances when they tied 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two competitive games, made more fascinating by the contrasting styles between the managers. Frank is more of a adaptable coach, more likely to be straightforward, play on the counter-attack, and wait for chances to unveil an array of deadly set-piece plays, whereas Maresca tends towards dogmatism. The Italian comes from the Pep Guardiola philosophy; he prizes dominance of the ball.

Chelsea’s average of 59.7% so far this campaign is exceeded only by Liverpool in the Premier League. Frank varies his approach more. Spurs are not instinctively a defensively-minded side – they are ranked seventh in the possession rankings, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is notable that their best displays have come in games where they have relinquished the initiative. They were superb with a back five in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, executed an outstanding counterpress when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and overwhelmed Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

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

This is a tricky game to call. Spurs are five points off the summit and undefeated 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 expressed frustration about a lack of creativity when the responsibility is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s moan about their young side’s inexperience, indiscipline, and struggles against defensive setups.

The truth is that both managers are managing reasonably well. Chelsea could drop to 12th if they are defeated to Spurs, but there is context to their mixed results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have been costly. A disrupted pre-season, due to the club reaching the final at the Club World Cup, cannot be overlooked.

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

Maresca was furious with Delap, who is suspended for the visit to Spurs. But he is also considering how to make his team more penetrative against defensive teams. The goals have slowed down for João Pedro, and more reliability is necessary from Chelsea’s young wide players.

Frustration mounted 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 flummoxed Maresca. Régis Le Bris had prepared well. Statistics 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 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 flaw when Maresca’s quest for control is taken to extremes. The threat is slipping 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 contests this view, but it is worth noting that Chelsea had 33.5% possession when they delivered their finest performance under the Italian and thrashed PSG in the Club World Cup final. Variety is a advantage. Chelsea have plenty of fast attackers and are pulsating when they have room to attack.

Will Frank give them opportunity? Chelsea punished Postecoglou’s attacking tactics on their past two visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will certainly be smarter. Is a change to a five-man defense possible? Chelsea have allowed goals from three long throws this season. Spurs could have Kevin Danso throwing balls into the box. They will note that Chelsea have improved at offensive 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 absent, there is a significant creative burden on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, targeted by Chelsea last summer, has not done enough since arriving from RB Leipzig. Spurs are one-dimensional in open play. Their forwards remain unreliable.

But this is one game where the result may validate the method. Spurs fans will not complain if a defensive approach ends a four-game sequence of defeats against Chelsea. A win would boost Frank’s reign. How he would cherish to win this battle with Maresca.