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At the time Chelsea were searching for a successor for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, a number of managers were in contention. It was an comprehensive process that saw the club engaging with Thomas Frank before they finally opted for Enzo Maresca.

The feeling was that Maresca’s tactical system 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 big break. Not chosen by Manchester United after they let go of Erik ten Hag, his opportunity came when Tottenham appointed the Dane after firing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

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

Those were two competitive games, made more intriguing by the contrasting styles between the managers. Frank is more of a adaptable coach, more willing to be direct, play on the counter-attack, and wait for opportunities to deploy an range of deadly set-piece plays, whereas Maresca tends towards dogmatism. The Italian comes from the Pep Guardiola philosophy; he prizes control of the ball.

Chelsea’s possession 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 inherently a defensive side – they are seventh in the possession table, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is notable that their strongest showings have come in games where they have surrendered the initiative. They were superb with a defensive setup 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 results point to Spurs should play on the counter when they face Chelsea. Tottenham, it must be noted, have one win from their past seven home league games. The numbers are awful. Spurs’ record of 13 points from their last 18 home fixtures is the lowest 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 top and unbeaten 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 expressed frustration about a absence of creativity when the pressure is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s moan about their young side’s immaturity, lack of discipline, and toils against defensive setups.

The reality is that both managers are managing reasonably well. Chelsea could fall to 12th if they are defeated 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 competing deep 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 ludicrous dismissal during Wednesday’s Carabao Cup success against Wolves was Chelsea’s sixth such red card in nine games, including Maresca’s dismissal from the technical area during the win over Liverpool.

Maresca was angry with Delap, who is suspended for the visit to Spurs. But he is also thinking about how to make his team more penetrative against low blocks. The goals have decreased for João Pedro, and more consistency is needed from Chelsea’s young wingers.

Irritation grew during last weekend’s 2-1 home defeat by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their highest of the campaign, but their expected goals was 0.97. Sunderland’s switch to a back five confused Maresca. Régis Le Bris had done his homework. Data revealing that it is one win from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its peak this season indicates that their fundamental philosophy is being used against them and used to their disadvantage.

This is not a new issue. It was zero victories from the four league games in which Chelsea had their most possession last season, underscoring a flaw when Maresca’s pursuit for control is taken to the limit. The threat is drifting into ineffective control, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s phrase. José Mourinho’s comment about the team with the ball having the anxiety also is relevant.

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

Will Frank grant them space? Chelsea exploited Postecoglou’s attacking tactics on their last two trips to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will certainly be smarter. Is a shift to a back five possible? Chelsea have conceded from three long throws this season. Spurs could have Kevin Danso throwing balls into the box. They will observe that Chelsea have gotten better at attacking set pieces but are allowing too many chances.

Being so straightforward does not necessarily fit with Spurs’ history. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski unavailable, there is a considerable creative burden 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 open play. Their forwards remain unreliable.

But this is one game where the ends may excuse the approach. Spurs fans will not mind if a pragmatic approach halts a four-game winless streak against Chelsea. A win would boost Frank’s time in charge. How he would relish to win this battle with Maresca.