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When Chelsea were seeking for a replacement 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 eventually selected Enzo Maresca.

The opinion was that Maresca’s structured approach and emphasis on possession made him the most suitable for Chelsea’s squad of technicians. Frank, who had achieved great success at Brentford, had to remain patient for his next chance. Overlooked by Manchester United after they let go of Erik ten Hag, his moment arrived when Tottenham hired the Danish manager after replacing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

Now, Frank and Maresca face each other, both holding major roles. Their relationship is not yet a full-blown rivalry, but they had some hard-fought encounters last season. Frank’s Brentford were unfortunate to endure a 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge last December and had the superior chances when they tied 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two engaging games, made more fascinating by the tactical differences between the coaches. Frank is more of a adaptable coach, more likely to be direct, play on the break, and wait for opportunities to unveil an variety of effective set-piece strategies, whereas Maresca tends towards a strict philosophy. The Italian is a product of the Pep Guardiola school; he prizes control of the ball.

Chelsea’s average of 59.7% this season is bettered only by Liverpool in the Premier League. Frank mixes it up more. Spurs are not naturally a defensively-minded side – they are ranked seventh in the possession standings, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is telling that their strongest displays have come in games where they have surrendered the control. They were outstanding 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 results point to Spurs might sit back when they host Chelsea. Tottenham, it must be noted, have one win from their past seven home league games. The figures are awful. Spurs’ return of 13 points from their last 18 home outings is the poorest of any team to have been in the top flight during that period.

This is a difficult game to call. Spurs are five points off the top 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 skeptical about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have grumbled about a lack of creativity when the pressure is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s complain about their young side’s inexperience, lack of discipline, and toils against low blocks.

The truth is that both managers are doing fine. Chelsea could drop to 12th if they lose to Spurs, but there is background to their mixed results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have had an impact. A interrupted pre-season, due to the club going all the way at the Club World Cup, cannot be ignored.

However, there is room for progress, especially when it comes to keeping 11 players on the pitch. Liam Delap’s unnecessary dismissal during Wednesday’s Carabao Cup victory 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 angry with Delap, who is suspended for the fixture to Spurs. But he is also thinking about how to make his team more effective against low blocks. The goals have dried up for João Pedro, and more reliability is needed from Chelsea’s young wide players.

Irritation mounted during last weekend’s 2-1 home defeat by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their highest of the season, but their xG was 0.97. Sunderland’s adjustment to a five-man defense baffled Maresca. Régis Le Bris had prepared well. Data revealing that it is one win from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its highest this season indicates that their fundamental philosophy is being weaponised and turned on them.

This is not a new issue. It was no wins from the four league games in which Chelsea had their highest possession stats last season, highlighting a flaw when Maresca’s pursuit for control is taken to extremes. The danger is falling into ineffective control, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s term. José Mourinho’s remark about the team with the ball having the fear also is relevant.

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

Will Frank allow them space? Chelsea took advantage of Postecoglou’s gung-ho tactics on their past two trips to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will surely be smarter. Is a shift to a five-man defense 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 conceding too many chances.

Being so straightforward does not necessarily align with Spurs’ style. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski unavailable, there is a considerable creative load on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, courted by Chelsea last summer, has not done enough since joining RB Leipzig. Spurs are lacking variety in general play. Their forwards remain inconsistent.

But this is one game where the result may justify the means. Spurs fans will not mind if a cautious approach breaks a four-game winless streak against Chelsea. A win would ignite Frank’s tenure. How he would love to win this battle with Maresca.