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

The belief was that Maresca’s structured approach and emphasis on possession rendered him the best fit for Chelsea’s squad of talented individuals. Frank, who had performed brilliantly at Brentford, had to bide his time for his big break. Overlooked by Manchester United after they let go of Erik ten Hag, his moment came when Tottenham brought in the Danish manager after replacing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

At present, Frank and Maresca confront one another, both holding prestigious roles. Their relationship is not yet a full-blown rivalry, but they shared some tight duels last season. Frank’s Brentford were unfortunate to suffer a 2-1 loss at Stamford Bridge last December and had the better chances when they tied 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two decent games, made more interesting by the divergent approaches between the coaches. Frank is considered a adaptable coach, more likely to be direct, play on the break, and wait for chances to execute an array of deadly set-piece strategies, whereas Maresca tends towards a strict philosophy. The Italian comes from the Pep Guardiola coaching tree; he values control of the ball.

Chelsea’s average of 59.7% so far this campaign is bettered only by Liverpool in the Premier League. Frank adapts his tactics more. Spurs are not instinctively a defensively-minded side – they are seventh in the possession standings, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is telling that their strongest showings have come in games where they have ceded the control. They were excellent with a five-man defense 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 results suggest Spurs should adopt a defensive approach when they host Chelsea. Tottenham, it must be noted, have only one victory from their last seven home league games. The numbers are awful. Spurs’ record of 13 points from their past 18 home fixtures is the worst of any team to have been in the top flight during that period.

This is a difficult game to read. Spurs are five points off first place and unbeaten in the Champions League. Chelsea are Club World Cup winners and advanced to the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup this week. However, fans of both sides remain unconvinced about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have grumbled about a shortage of creativity when the pressure is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s lament about their young side’s inexperience, lack of discipline, and difficulties against defensive setups.

The reality is that both managers are performing adequately. Chelsea could slip to 12th if they are defeated to Spurs, but there is background to their inconsistent results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have had an impact. A interrupted pre-season, due to the club reaching the final at the Club World Cup, cannot be ignored.

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

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

Disappointment mounted during last weekend’s 2-1 home defeat by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their highest of the campaign, but their xG was 0.97. Sunderland’s change to a five-man defense flummoxed Maresca. Régis Le Bris had prepared well. Numbers indicating that it is only one victory from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its maximum this season suggests that their fundamental philosophy is being weaponised 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 vulnerability when Maresca’s pursuit for control is taken to extremes. The risk is slipping into ineffective control, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s term. José Mourinho’s remark about the team with the ball having the anxiety 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 thrashed PSG in the Club World Cup final. Flexibility is a advantage. Chelsea have a number of fast attackers and are dynamic when they have space to attack.

Will Frank allow them opportunity? Chelsea took advantage of Postecoglou’s gung-ho tactics on their last two trips to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will undoubtedly be more strategic. Is a change to a five-man defense likely? Chelsea have allowed goals from three long throws this season. Spurs could have Kevin Danso chucking balls into the box. They will observe that Chelsea have improved at offensive set pieces but are allowing too many chances.

Being so long-ball oriented does not necessarily fit with Spurs’ history. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski missing, there is a considerable creative burden on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, courted by Chelsea last summer, has not made an impact since joining RB Leipzig. Spurs are lacking variety in from open situations. Their forwards remain erratic.

But this is one game where the ends may excuse the approach. Spurs fans will not mind if a pragmatic approach ends a four-game losing run against Chelsea. A win would energize Frank’s time in charge. How he would love to win this contest with Maresca.