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

The belief was that Maresca’s positional game and emphasis on possession made him the ideal candidate for Chelsea’s roster of technicians. Frank, who had excelled at Brentford, had to remain patient for his next opportunity. Passed over by Manchester United after they parted ways with Erik ten Hag, his break arrived when Tottenham appointed the Danish manager after firing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

At present, Frank and Maresca confront one another, both occupying prestigious roles. Their relationship is not currently a full-blown rivalry, but they experienced some close matches last season. Frank’s Brentford were unfortunate to suffer a 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge last December and had the more clear-cut chances when they tied 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two decent games, made more fascinating by the contrasting styles between the managers. Frank is considered 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 routines, whereas Maresca leans towards dogmatism. 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 mixes it up more. Spurs are not naturally a defensive side – they are 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 surrendered the initiative. They were outstanding 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 experiences point to Spurs ought to play on the counter when they welcome Chelsea. Tottenham, it must be noted, have one win from their last seven home league games. The figures are awful. Spurs’ record of 13 points from their past 18 home outings is the lowest of any team to have been in the top flight during that period.

This is a hard game to predict. Spurs are five points off the top and undefeated in the Champions League. Chelsea are world champions and reached the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup this week. Yet, fans of both sides remain unconvinced about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have grumbled about a absence of creativity when the pressure is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s lament about their young side’s immaturity, lack of discipline, and toils against defensive setups.

The truth is that both managers are performing adequately. Chelsea could drop to 12th if they lose to Spurs, but there is mitigating circumstances to their indifferent 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 improvement, especially when it comes to maintaining 11 players on the pitch. Liam Delap’s unnecessary sending off during Wednesday’s Carabao Cup win 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 angry with Delap, who is suspended for the trip to Spurs. But he is also considering how to make his team more incisive against defensive teams. The goals have decreased for João Pedro, and more reliability is required from Chelsea’s young wingers.

Frustration mounted during last weekend’s 2-1 home loss by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their maximum of the season, but their xG was 0.97. Sunderland’s change to a five-man defense baffled Maresca. Régis Le Bris had done his homework. Numbers revealing that it is only one victory from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its peak this season suggests that their key approach is being used against them and used to their disadvantage.

This is not a recent issue. It was no wins from the four league games in which Chelsea had their most possession last season, emphasizing a weakness when Maresca’s pursuit for control is taken to the limit. The risk is slipping into ineffective control, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s phrase. José Mourinho’s line about the team with the ball having the worry also comes to mind.

Maresca contests this view, 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 several fast attackers and are exciting when they have space to attack.

Will Frank grant them opportunity? Chelsea exploited Postecoglou’s gung-ho tactics on their last two trips to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will undoubtedly be smarter. Is a change to a five-man defense likely? Chelsea have conceded from three long throws this season. Spurs could have Kevin Danso launching balls into the box. They will take into account that Chelsea have gotten better at offensive set pieces but are allowing too many chances.

Being so straightforward does not necessarily align with Spurs’ style. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski absent, there is a considerable creative load on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, targeted by Chelsea last summer, has not performed to expectations since joining RB Leipzig. Spurs are lacking variety in general play. Their forwards remain unreliable.

But this is one game where the result may validate the means. Spurs fans will not mind if a defensive approach halts a four-game winless streak against Chelsea. Success would energize Frank’s tenure. How he would cherish to win this duel with Maresca.