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

The opinion was that Maresca’s structured approach and focus on possession positioned him as the ideal candidate for Chelsea’s squad of talented individuals. Frank, who had excelled at Brentford, had to remain patient for his next chance. Passed over by Manchester United after they let go of Erik ten Hag, his opportunity arrived when Tottenham brought in the Danish manager after replacing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

Currently, Frank and Maresca meet, both in high-profile roles. Theirs is not currently a established rivalry, but they shared some hard-fought encounters last season. Frank’s Brentford were unlucky to endure 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 engaging games, made more intriguing by the divergent approaches between the tacticians. Frank is considered a adaptable coach, more willing to be straightforward, play on the counter-attack, and wait for opportunities to execute an array of effective set-piece strategies, whereas Maresca leans towards ideological rigidity. The Italian hails from the Pep Guardiola school; he emphasizes control 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 ranked seventh in the possession table, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is significant that their most impressive showings have come in games where they have relinquished the control. They were superb 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 dominated Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those performances indicate Spurs ought to sit back when they welcome Chelsea. Tottenham, it must be noted, have only one victory from their last seven home league games. The numbers are disappointing. Spurs’ return of 13 points from their last 18 home outings is the lowest of any team to have been in the top flight throughout that period.

This is a difficult game to read. Spurs are five points off first place and undefeated in the Champions League. Chelsea are world champions and advanced to the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup this week. However, fans of both sides remain skeptical about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have expressed frustration 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 toils against low blocks.

The reality is that both managers are doing fine. 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 disrupted pre-season, caused by the club reaching the final at the Club World Cup, cannot be dismissed.

Yet, there is potential for development, especially when it comes to keeping 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 fixture to Spurs. But he is also considering how to make his team more incisive against defensive teams. The goals have slowed down for João Pedro, and more consistency is necessary from Chelsea’s young wingers.

Frustration mounted during last weekend’s 2-1 home loss 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 baffled Maresca. Régis Le Bris had done his homework. Numbers indicating that it is one win from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its highest this season indicates that their core identity is being exploited 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, highlighting a weakness when Maresca’s drive for control is taken to extremes. The danger is slipping into sterile domination, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s phrase. José Mourinho’s line about the team with the ball having the anxiety also is relevant.

Maresca contests this view, but it is worth remembering that Chelsea had 33.5% possession when they produced their finest performance under the Italian and decisively beat PSG in the Club World Cup final. Adaptability is a advantage. Chelsea have a number of fast attackers and are exciting when they have room to attack.

Will Frank allow them opportunity? Chelsea exploited Postecoglou’s gung-ho tactics on their past two trips to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will certainly be more strategic. Is a switch to a five-man defense on the cards? Chelsea have allowed goals from three long throws this season. Spurs could have Kevin Danso launching balls into the box. They will take into account that Chelsea have improved at offensive set pieces but are conceding too many chances.

Being so long-ball oriented does not necessarily align with Spurs’ traditions. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski absent, there is a considerable creative load on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, pursued by Chelsea last summer, has not made an impact since arriving from RB Leipzig. Spurs are one-dimensional in from open situations. Their forwards remain erratic.

But this is one game where the result may justify the approach. Spurs fans will not mind if a pragmatic approach breaks a four-game winless streak against Chelsea. A win would energize Frank’s reign. How he would relish to win this contest with Maresca.