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When Chelsea were looking for a replacement for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, several managers were in contention. This was an thorough process that saw the club engaging with Thomas Frank before they eventually selected Enzo Maresca.

The feeling was that Maresca’s tactical system and emphasis on possession rendered him the ideal candidate for Chelsea’s roster of technicians. Frank, who had performed brilliantly at Brentford, had to wait for his next chance. Overlooked by Manchester United after they let go of Erik ten Hag, his break arrived when Tottenham appointed the Dane after sacking Ange Postecoglou last summer.

Now, Frank and Maresca meet, both holding prestigious roles. Their relationship is not currently a full-blown rivalry, but they experienced some hard-fought duels last season. Frank’s Brentford were unlucky to suffer a 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge last December and created the superior chances when they tied 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two engaging games, made more intriguing by the tactical differences between the managers. Frank is more of a adaptable coach, more likely to be direct, play on the counter-attack, and wait for chances to unveil an array of deadly set-piece strategies, whereas Maresca leans towards a strict philosophy. The Italian hails from the Pep Guardiola philosophy; he prizes dominance of the ball.

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

Those experiences point to 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 statistics 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 throughout that period.

This is a tricky game to predict. Spurs are five points off the top and undefeated in the Champions League. Chelsea are Club World Cup winners and advanced to the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup this week. Yet, fans of both sides remain unconvinced about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have complained about a shortage of creativity when the responsibility is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s complain about their young side’s inexperience, indiscipline, and struggles against defensive setups.

The reality is that both managers are doing fine. Chelsea could slip to 12th if they lose to Spurs, but there is mitigating circumstances to their inconsistent results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have been costly. A disrupted pre-season, caused by the club going all the way at the Club World Cup, cannot be ignored.

Still, there is potential for improvement, especially when it comes to maintaining 11 players on the pitch. Liam Delap’s rash 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 furious with Delap, who is suspended for the visit to Spurs. But he is also thinking about how to make his team more effective against defensive teams. The goals have decreased for João Pedro, and more reliability is necessary from Chelsea’s young wide players.

Irritation mounted during last weekend’s 2-1 home defeat by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their maximum of the season, but their expected goals was 0.97. Sunderland’s change to a back five baffled Maresca. Régis Le Bris had prepared well. Data revealing that it is only one victory from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its peak this season implies that their key approach is being weaponised and turned on them.

This is not a new issue. It was zero victories from the four league games in which Chelsea had their most possession last season, highlighting a weakness when Maresca’s quest for control is taken to the limit. The risk is drifting into ineffective control, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s expression. José Mourinho’s comment 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 most impressive performance under the Italian and decisively beat PSG in the Club World Cup final. Variety is a advantage. Chelsea have several fast attackers and are dynamic when they have room to attack.

Will Frank allow them freedom? Chelsea punished Postecoglou’s gung-ho tactics on their past two visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will undoubtedly be smarter. Is a switch 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 conceding too many chances.

Being so long-ball oriented does not necessarily align with Spurs’ history. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski unavailable, there is a significant creative load on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, targeted by Chelsea last summer, has not done enough since arriving from RB Leipzig. Spurs are lacking variety in open play. Their forwards remain unreliable.

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