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At the time Chelsea were looking for a successor for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, a number of managers were considered. It was an thorough process that saw the club holding talks with Thomas Frank before they finally selected Enzo Maresca.

The opinion was that Maresca’s structured approach and focus on possession made him the ideal candidate for Chelsea’s team of skilled players. Frank, who had excelled at Brentford, had to wait for his next opportunity. Overlooked by Manchester United after they let go of Erik ten Hag, his break came when Tottenham appointed the Danish manager after sacking Ange Postecoglou last summer.

Now, Frank and Maresca confront one another, both holding major roles. Theirs is not currently a full-blown rivalry, but they had some hard-fought matches last season. Frank’s Brentford were unlucky to suffer a 2-1 loss at Stamford Bridge last December and created the more clear-cut chances when they drew 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two decent games, made more intriguing by the divergent approaches between the coaches. Frank is considered a practical manager, more willing to be direct, play on the break, and wait for opportunities to deploy an array of effective set-piece strategies, whereas Maresca leans towards a strict philosophy. The Italian comes from the Pep Guardiola school; he values dominance of the ball.

Chelsea’s average of 59.7% so far this campaign is bettered only by Liverpool in the Premier League. Frank varies his approach more. Spurs are not naturally a defensively-minded side – they are seventh in the possession standings, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is significant that their strongest displays have come in games where they have ceded the initiative. They were outstanding with a back five in the Super Cup against Paris Saint-Germain, implemented an outstanding counterpress when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and destroyed Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those performances point to Spurs should adopt a defensive approach when they welcome Chelsea. Tottenham, after all, have one win from their last seven home league games. The numbers are disappointing. Spurs’ record of 13 points from their last 18 home outings is the worst of any team to have been in the top flight during that period.

This is a difficult game to read. Spurs are five points off first place and unbeaten in the Champions League. Chelsea are Club World Cup winners and reached the last eight of the Carabao Cup this week. However, fans of both sides remain doubtful 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 inexperience, lack of discipline, and toils against defensive setups.

The truth is that both managers are doing fine. Chelsea could slip to 12th if they are defeated to Spurs, but there is background to their mixed results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have taken a toll. A interrupted pre-season, caused by the club competing deep at the Club World Cup, cannot be dismissed.

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

Maresca was furious with Delap, who is banned for the visit to Spurs. But he is also thinking about how to make his team more incisive against low blocks. The goals have slowed down for João Pedro, and more steadiness is necessary from Chelsea’s young wingers.

Irritation mounted during last weekend’s 2-1 home loss by Sunderland. Chelsea had 68.4% possession, their peak of the campaign, but their expected goals was 0.97. Sunderland’s switch to a back five baffled Maresca. Régis Le Bris had done his homework. Statistics showing that it is only one victory from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its peak this season indicates that their key approach is being exploited 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, underscoring a weakness when Maresca’s quest for control is taken to the limit. The danger is drifting into unproductive possession, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s expression. José Mourinho’s line about the team with the ball having the fear also comes to mind.

Maresca differs in opinion, but it is worth recalling that Chelsea had 33.5% possession when they put in their most impressive performance under the Italian and routed PSG in the Club World Cup final. Flexibility is a strength. Chelsea have a number of fast attackers and are pulsating when they have space to attack.

Will Frank give them space? Chelsea punished Postecoglou’s attacking tactics on their past two visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will certainly be smarter. Is a change to a back five on the cards? 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 conceding too many chances.

Being so direct does not necessarily align with Spurs’ history. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski missing, there is a significant creative load on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, courted by Chelsea last summer, has not done enough since joining RB Leipzig. Spurs are predictable in open play. Their forwards remain unreliable.

But this is one game where the outcome may excuse the approach. Spurs fans will not mind if a pragmatic approach ends a four-game winless streak against Chelsea. A win would energize Frank’s tenure. How he would relish to win this contest with Maresca.