🔗 Share this article

When Chelsea were searching for a replacement for Mauricio Pochettino in May 2024, multiple managers were in contention. It was an thorough process that involved the club holding talks with Thomas Frank before they ultimately chose Enzo Maresca.

The belief was that Maresca’s positional game and priority on possession positioned him as the most suitable for Chelsea’s squad of skilled players. Frank, who had performed brilliantly at Brentford, had to bide his time for his big break. Not chosen by Manchester United after they parted ways with Erik ten Hag, his break came when Tottenham hired the Dane after sacking Ange Postecoglou last summer.

Now, Frank and Maresca meet, both holding high-profile roles. Theirs is not yet a full-fledged rivalry, but they shared some hard-fought duels last season. Frank’s Brentford were unlucky to suffer a 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge last December and had the superior chances when they drew 0-0 with Chelsea in April.

Those were two decent games, made more intriguing by the contrasting styles between the coaches. Frank is considered a pragmatist, more likely to be straightforward, play on the counter-attack, and wait for opportunities to execute an range of deadly set-piece routines, whereas Maresca veers towards ideological rigidity. The Italian is a product of the Pep Guardiola philosophy; he values dominance of the ball.

Chelsea’s average of 59.7% so far this campaign is exceeded only by Liverpool in the Premier League. Frank mixes it up more. Spurs are not inherently a defensive side – they are ranked seventh in the possession rankings, ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle – but it is telling that their best performances 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, executed an exceptional counterpress when they won 2-0 at Manchester City, and destroyed Everton with set pieces last Sunday.

Those results indicate Spurs should sit back when they welcome Chelsea. Tottenham, it must be noted, have only one victory from their last seven home league games. The statistics are disappointing. Spurs’ record of 13 points from their past 18 home fixtures is the poorest of any team to have been in the top flight during that timeframe.

This is a difficult game to predict. Spurs are five points off first place and unbeaten in the Champions League. Chelsea are world champions and reached the last eight of the Carabao Cup this week. Yet, fans of both sides remain doubtful about Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have grumbled about a absence of creativity when the responsibility is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s moan about their young side’s inexperience, indiscipline, and struggles against low blocks.

The reality is that both managers are performing adequately. Chelsea could fall to 12th if they lose to Spurs, but there is mitigating circumstances to their mixed results. Injuries to Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill have had an impact. A disrupted pre-season, caused by the club reaching the final at the Club World Cup, cannot be dismissed.

However, there is room for progress, especially when it comes to maintaining 11 players on the pitch. Liam Delap’s unnecessary sending off 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 trip to Spurs. But he is also considering how to make his team more effective against defensive teams. The goals have decreased for João Pedro, and more steadiness is needed from Chelsea’s young wingers.

Frustration built 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 confused Maresca. Régis Le Bris had studied his opponent. Statistics revealing that it is only one victory from the six league games when Chelsea’s possession has been at its peak this season implies that their key approach is being used against them and turned on them.

This is not a recent 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 quest for control is taken to the limit. The risk is slipping into ineffective control, to borrow Arsène Wenger’s expression. José Mourinho’s comment about the team with the ball having the worry also applies here.

Maresca disagrees, but it is worth noting that Chelsea had 33.5% possession when they put in their finest performance under the Italian and routed PSG in the Club World Cup final. Adaptability is a positive attribute. Chelsea have several fast attackers and are dynamic when they have space to attack.

Will Frank give them freedom? Chelsea exploited Postecoglou’s attacking tactics on their past two trips to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Frank will undoubtedly be more cautious. Is a switch to a five-man defense on the cards? Chelsea have conceded from three long throws this season. Spurs could have Kevin Danso chucking balls into the box. They will observe that Chelsea have improved at offensive set pieces but are allowing too many chances.

Being so direct does not necessarily match Spurs’ style. But with James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski absent, there is a significant creative responsibility on Mohammed Kudus. Xavi Simons, courted by Chelsea last summer, has not made an impact since joining RB Leipzig. Spurs are predictable in from open situations. Their forwards remain erratic.

But this is one game where the result may justify the method. Spurs fans will not object if a pragmatic approach breaks a four-game sequence of defeats against Chelsea. A win would ignite Frank’s tenure. How he would love to win this contest with Maresca.