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When Chelsea were seeking for a successor for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, a number of managers were considered. It was an extensive process that involved the club holding talks with Thomas Frank before they eventually selected Enzo Maresca.

The belief was that Maresca’s positional game and emphasis on possession made him the most suitable for Chelsea’s roster of skilled players. Frank, who had excelled at Brentford, had to bide his time 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 sacking Ange Postecoglou last summer.

Now, Frank and Maresca confront one another, both holding high-profile roles. Theirs is not yet a established rivalry, but they shared some close duels last season. Frank’s Brentford were unlucky 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 engaging games, made more intriguing by the contrasting styles between the tacticians. Frank is considered a pragmatist, more likely to be straightforward, play on the counter-attack, and wait for chances to unveil an range of clinical set-piece routines, whereas Maresca tends towards a strict philosophy. The Italian is a product of the Pep Guardiola coaching tree; he prizes control of the ball.

Chelsea’s average of 59.7% this season is exceeded only by Liverpool in the Premier League. Frank varies his approach 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 telling that their most impressive showings have come in games where they have ceded the control. They were superb with a back five in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, executed an impressive counterpress when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and destroyed Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those results suggest Spurs might play on the counter when they host Chelsea. Tottenham, after all, have only one victory from their last seven home league games. The numbers are disappointing. Spurs’ return of 13 points from their past 18 home outings is the poorest of any team to have been in the top flight during that period.

This is a tricky game to predict. Spurs are five points off the summit and unbeaten in the Champions League. Chelsea are Club World Cup winners and reached the last eight of the Carabao Cup this week. Yet, fans of both sides remain unconvinced about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have complained about a shortage of creativity when the pressure is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s lament about their young side’s immaturity, indiscipline, and struggles against defensive setups.

The situation is that both managers are performing adequately. Chelsea could drop to 12th if they lose to Spurs, but there is mitigating circumstances to their inconsistent results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have had an impact. A disrupted pre-season, due to the club competing deep at the Club World Cup, cannot be overlooked.

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

Maresca was furious with Delap, who is banned for the fixture to Spurs. But he is also considering how to make his team more penetrative against low blocks. The goals have slowed down for João Pedro, and more consistency is needed from Chelsea’s young attacking midfielders.

Frustration grew during last weekend’s 2-1 home defeat by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their maximum of the campaign, but their xG was 0.97. Sunderland’s adjustment to a five-man defense baffled Maresca. Régis Le Bris had done his homework. Data showing that it is one win from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its peak this season implies that their core identity is being used against them 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, underscoring a weakness when Maresca’s pursuit for control is taken to extremes. The threat is falling into unproductive possession, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s term. José Mourinho’s comment about the team with the ball having the anxiety also applies here.

Maresca disagrees, but it is worth noting that Chelsea had 33.5% possession when they produced their best performance under the Italian and decisively beat PSG in the Club World Cup final. Flexibility is a positive attribute. Chelsea have plenty of fast attackers and are exciting when they have space to attack.

Will Frank give them opportunity? Chelsea exploited Postecoglou’s adventurous tactics on their past two visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will undoubtedly be more strategic. Is a shift to a back five likely? Chelsea have allowed goals 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 offensive set pieces but are conceding too many chances.

Being so straightforward does not necessarily fit with Spurs’ history. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski unavailable, there is a significant creative responsibility on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, pursued by Chelsea last summer, has not performed to expectations since arriving from RB Leipzig. Spurs are predictable in general play. Their forwards remain unreliable.

But this is one game where the outcome may validate the method. Spurs fans will not mind if a pragmatic approach halts a four-game sequence of defeats against Chelsea. Victory would ignite Frank’s tenure. How he would love to win this contest with Maresca.