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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 thorough process that saw the club engaging with Thomas Frank before they finally selected Enzo Maresca.

The belief was that Maresca’s tactical system and priority on possession positioned him as the most suitable for Chelsea’s squad of talented individuals. Frank, who had achieved great success at Brentford, had to remain patient for his next opportunity. Overlooked by Manchester United after they parted ways with Erik ten Hag, his break arrived when Tottenham brought in the Danish manager after replacing Ange Postecoglou last summer.

Currently, Frank and Maresca face each other, both occupying prestigious roles. Theirs is not currently a established rivalry, but they had some close matches last season. Frank’s Brentford were unfortunate to endure a 2-1 loss at Stamford Bridge last December and created the superior chances when they drew 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two engaging games, made more interesting by the tactical differences between the tacticians. Frank is more of a adaptable coach, more inclined to be direct, play on the counter-attack, and wait for opportunities to execute an variety of deadly set-piece strategies, whereas Maresca tends towards a strict philosophy. The Italian is a product of the Pep Guardiola philosophy; he prizes dominance of the ball.

Chelsea’s average of 59.7% so far this campaign is exceeded only by Liverpool in the Premier League. Frank varies his approach more. Spurs are not inherently a defensively-minded side – they are seventh in the possession standings, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is notable that their best displays have come in games where they have ceded the possession. They were excellent with a back five 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 indicate Spurs should adopt a defensive approach when they welcome Chelsea. Tottenham, after all, have only one victory from their past seven home league games. The numbers are disappointing. Spurs’ record of 13 points from their past 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 the top and undefeated in the Champions League. Chelsea are Club World Cup winners and advanced to the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup this week. However, fans of both sides remain unconvinced about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have grumbled about a lack of creativity when the responsibility is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s moan about their young side’s immaturity, lack of discipline, and toils against defensive setups.

The truth is that both managers are performing adequately. Chelsea could slip to 12th if they lose to Spurs, but there is context to their mixed results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have been costly. A interrupted pre-season, due to the club reaching the final at the Club World Cup, cannot be ignored.

Yet, there is potential for improvement, especially when it comes to maintaining 11 players on the pitch. Liam Delap’s ludicrous red card during Wednesday’s Carabao Cup success 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 banned for the visit to Spurs. But he is also considering how to make his team more incisive against low blocks. The goals have dried up for João Pedro, and more reliability is required from Chelsea’s young attacking midfielders.

Frustration built 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 switch to a five-man defense flummoxed Maresca. Régis Le Bris had prepared well. Numbers revealing that it is only one victory from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its highest this season suggests that their key approach is being weaponised 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 most possession last season, highlighting a vulnerability when Maresca’s quest for control is taken to extremes. The danger is slipping into unproductive possession, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s phrase. José Mourinho’s comment about the team with the ball having the fear also is relevant.

Maresca contests this view, but it is worth recalling that Chelsea had 33.5% possession when they produced their most impressive performance under the Italian and routed PSG in the Club World Cup final. Adaptability is a strength. Chelsea have plenty of fast attackers and are pulsating when they have room to attack.

Will Frank allow them opportunity? Chelsea punished Postecoglou’s adventurous tactics on their past two visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will undoubtedly be more cautious. Is a shift to a back five likely? Chelsea have conceded from three long throws this season. Spurs could have Kevin Danso launching balls into the box. They will observe that Chelsea have gotten better at offensive set pieces but are allowing 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 burden on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, pursued by Chelsea last summer, has not done enough since joining RB Leipzig. Spurs are one-dimensional in from open situations. Their forwards remain erratic.

But this is one game where the result may validate the approach. Spurs fans will not complain if a pragmatic approach breaks a four-game sequence of defeats against Chelsea. Success would boost Frank’s time in charge. How he would relish to win this contest with Maresca.