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At the time Chelsea were looking for a successor for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, multiple managers were evaluated. It was an comprehensive process that saw the club holding talks with Thomas Frank before they eventually opted for Enzo Maresca.

The opinion was that Maresca’s positional game and emphasis on possession positioned him as the best fit for Chelsea’s squad of technicians. Frank, who had performed brilliantly at Brentford, had to wait for his big break. Not chosen by Manchester United after they parted ways with Erik ten Hag, his break came when Tottenham appointed the Dane after firing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

Now, Frank and Maresca confront one another, both holding high-profile roles. Their relationship is not yet a full-fledged rivalry, but they had some hard-fought 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 drew 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two decent games, made more intriguing by the contrasting styles between the coaches. Frank is considered a pragmatist, more willing to be direct, play on the counter-attack, and wait for chances to unveil an variety of effective set-piece routines, whereas Maresca veers towards dogmatism. The Italian hails from the Pep Guardiola school; he prizes control of the ball.

Chelsea’s possession average of 59.7% this season is exceeded only by Liverpool in the Premier League. Frank mixes it up more. Spurs are not instinctively a defensive side – they are seventh in the possession standings, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is significant that their most impressive performances have come in games where they have ceded the initiative. They were excellent with a five-man defense in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, executed an exceptional pressing game when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and overwhelmed Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those experiences point to Spurs should sit back when they welcome Chelsea. Tottenham, it must be noted, have only one victory from their past seven home league games. The numbers are awful. Spurs’ return of 13 points from their past 18 home outings is the worst of any team to have been in the top flight throughout that period.

This is a hard game to predict. Spurs are five points off the summit 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 skeptical about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have expressed frustration about a lack of creativity when the onus is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s moan about their young side’s immaturity, indiscipline, and difficulties against low blocks.

The situation is that both managers are performing adequately. Chelsea could slip to 12th if they lose to Spurs, but there is background to their inconsistent results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have taken a toll. A interrupted pre-season, resulting from the club going all the way at the Club World Cup, cannot be dismissed.

Yet, there is scope for development, especially when it comes to keeping 11 players on the pitch. Liam Delap’s unnecessary red card during Wednesday’s Carabao Cup victory against Wolves was Chelsea’s sixth red card in nine games, including Maresca’s banishment from the technical area 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 dried up for João Pedro, and more steadiness is required from Chelsea’s young wide players.

Disappointment grew during last weekend’s 2-1 home loss by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their peak of the season, but their expected goals was 0.97. Sunderland’s adjustment to a back five confused Maresca. Régis Le Bris had studied his opponent. Data revealing 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 core identity 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, underscoring a vulnerability when Maresca’s quest for control is taken to extremes. The danger is slipping into ineffective control, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s phrase. José Mourinho’s comment about the team with the ball having the anxiety also comes to mind.

Maresca differs in opinion, but it is worth noting that Chelsea had 33.5% possession when they delivered their finest performance under the Italian and routed PSG in the Club World Cup final. Variety is a advantage. Chelsea have a number of fast attackers and are dynamic when they have room to attack.

Will Frank grant them opportunity? Chelsea exploited Postecoglou’s attacking tactics on their past two trips to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will undoubtedly be smarter. Is a shift to a five-man defense likely? Chelsea have allowed goals from three long throws this season. Spurs could have Kevin Danso throwing 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 fit with Spurs’ style. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski absent, there is a significant creative responsibility on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, pursued by Chelsea last summer, has not made an impact since joining RB Leipzig. Spurs are lacking variety in open play. Their forwards remain erratic.

But this is one game where the ends may validate the means. Spurs fans will not object if a pragmatic approach ends a four-game losing run against Chelsea. Victory would boost Frank’s tenure. How he would love to win this duel with Maresca.